# two lost hives now all i have are Q's



## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Varroa mites do not survive without bees, so if the bees are dead/gone, so are the varroa. As far as killing other creatures that might be on the frames/combs, none of them can survive a few days in a freezer.


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## indypartridge (Nov 18, 2004)

Paulbunyan said:


> Hello, i lost one hive about a month ago to mold and wax moths.


A strong colony will keep both mold and wax moths in check. Wax moths take over when the colony is already seriously weakened. So you need to be investigating what is causing the colony to be weak prior to the wax moths.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

In support of the above two Posts, your bees did not die because of those things. They were killed by something else. Your colonies died because of some other disease or pest. Could have been queen related problem or varroa mite problem. 

If you could get a couple packages and install them they would probably do well, since you already have drawn comb.


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## snapper1d (Apr 8, 2011)

You need to render your honey if you dont know what killed your bees because if you just add more bees you could be adding them to 
diseased equipment and another failure.If you can determine it wasnt a disease that they died from then go ahead and add more bees.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

"render"? Do you mean "extract"? Or do you mean actually melt the combs. That would be over kill. In my opinion.


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## snapper1d (Apr 8, 2011)

Just extract your honey.


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## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

What's a potato bug?


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

My assumption is that "potato bug" refered to Armadillidium vulgare. They look like they are armored, and roll up into a ball when threatened.









photo credit


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## snapper1d (Apr 8, 2011)

Those are pill bugs.


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## Slow Drone (Apr 19, 2014)

I'd have to say doubt you lost a hive to pill bugs they're not interested in anything other than mold and mildew. They're an after the fact kind of thing.


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## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

Trying to think back to the child hood days, I think potato bugs were sow bugs, kind of like pill bugs, just bigger and didn't roll into a ball. Either that or jerusalum crickets I believe are what people referred to as potato bugs.


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## lemmje (Feb 23, 2015)

snapper1d said:


> Those are pill bugs.


In the Northwest they are known as potato bugs, sometimes roly polys. Regional vernacular.


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