# Spring inspection = trouble



## draparnaldia (Jul 12, 2010)

Hello, I have 5 colonies in NW Ohio. Just inspected this afternoon. 3 in great shape, 2 with dead bees, no queen and plenty of stores. Hope someone can help. I'll load pictures.

Some cells half full of white or yellow-colored substance. No foul smell. 

1. What happened?
2. Can I add a new coloney & queen to these 2 hives?

Thanks.



Draparnaldia


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## Joseph Clemens (Feb 12, 2005)

draparnaldia said:


> . . . Some cells half full of white or yellow-colored substance. No foul smell.


Sounds like bee bread (stored pollen).


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## Ravenseye (Apr 2, 2006)

Hmmm. Pics would help but plenty of hives starve within inches of stores. I looked at three today in my home yard. It may just have been a case of bees not moving to where the food is. If you could post pics, we'd love to look at 'em.


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## draparnaldia (Jul 12, 2010)

Thanks, I'll try to post some pics.


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## draparnaldia (Jul 12, 2010)

Here are photobucket pics of frames from my dead hives. Any suggestions as to what happened to my girls is very welcome. Most were dead in the hive or clinging (dead) to the combs.

Thanks

http://s1177.photobucket.com/albums/x356/Draparnaldia/


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## KevinR (Apr 30, 2010)

Looks like bee bread and mold to me.

But hard to tell from pictures..


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## ramfan (May 20, 2010)

My hive looked liked this too, I curious to see what the experts recommend.


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## WilliamsHoneyBees (Feb 17, 2010)

That is bee bread.


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## HONEYDEW (Mar 9, 2007)

I see allot of pollen and no honey, I would bet dollars to dog biscuits they starved.....:doh:


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## draparnaldia (Jul 12, 2010)

Thank you all. Very helpful.


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## theriverhawk (Jun 5, 2009)

When you found them dead, were there lots of bees with their heads down in cells with their tails sticking out? If so, then, yes, they starved. '


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## draparnaldia (Jul 12, 2010)

Yup, thats what I saw. There was so much honey within centimeters of where they died.


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## theriverhawk (Jun 5, 2009)

If you had honey that close but they were in head first and dead, then they probably died during a cold spell. They ran out of honey in the cluster but it was too cold to break cluster and get more. 
Dangit, it happens...to all of us unfortunately. Nothing, for the most part, you could have done really.


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## PDG honey (Jul 31, 2010)

Yes this does happen time to time. Probably starved. Just wondering if there was any water in the cells, since there is mold. I have seen alot of this to leaking tops. Snow melts slowly and weeps into the hive killing the cluster.


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## Axtmann (Dec 29, 2002)

Your hive is bone dry; there is only pollen on the pictures. No way for the bees to survive on these combs.


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## mdaniels (Sep 11, 2009)

What is the white stuff--mine looked like that, too.


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## PDG honey (Jul 31, 2010)

That is mold.


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