# Just a lonely queen



## brooksbeefarm (Apr 13, 2008)

I've never had a top bar hive but 20 worker bees and a queen wouldn't make it any where that i know of. It could be mites that killed them, or a virgen queen that never mated, and alot more could of beens. I would shake them off and store the frames after freezing them for three days. Sorry for your loss. Jack


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## Specialkayme (Sep 4, 2005)

If you only have literally 20 workers left with one queen, I doubt there is much you can do now. There are alot of "could be" solutions.

Do you know if the queen is laying? Do you see eggs?

Are you familiar with typical diseases? Foulbrood, chalkbrood, mite counts?

If the queen is fine, and there is no sign of any diseases, and you are willing to spare a frame of brood or two from another hive, it might be worth it to try and ramp up your weak one, but in reality if they are diminishing that quickly, I wouldn't be surprised if they were gone by tomorrow.

My queens usually know when to ditch a sinking ship late in the season, leaving me with a hive full of mites, or wax moths, or god knows what else.


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## trustchild (Oct 25, 2009)

Thanks for your thoughts. 
Looks like she's reached the end of the line.

I would like to know what I did wrong though.

I've been assuming it was yellow jackets. I know very little about other diseases and pests. I have never done a mite count.

Here is a photo of one comb. Note the dead bees just emerging from their cells. What would make them die there?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/4046599039/


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## Dave W (Aug 3, 2002)

They starved, I'm guessing.

Reqular inspections throughout the year helps spot trouble before its "trouble".


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## Beethinking (Jun 2, 2008)

Greetings, 

Fellow top bar beekeeper here in Portland as well. I've got 8 horizontal top bar hives that I started this season.

This year I've noticed that yellow jackets are more prevalent in proximity to the hives that are dealing with health issues, such as deformed wing virus. I've got a few hives that seem to be getting decimated by mites from what I can see: both mites on the bees, in the bottom of the hive, as well as bees with deformed wings. If you take a look at the remaining bees I suggest you look to see if any of them have missing or heavily disfigured wings. 

My reasoning is that the hives with DWV have wingless bees leaving the hives to walk off to their death and that is when I notice the dozens of yellow jackets capitalizing on the helpless prey. 

This certainly could be a combination of mites, robbing and starvation. 

Feel free to contact me if you'd like to discuss this further in person.

Cheers,
Matt


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## Milan-Slovakia (Sep 30, 2009)

Straightens a crooked top bar. There was seam, hole? Yes? Hive bees raided from hives 2.


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## trustchild (Oct 25, 2009)

I'll take a look into the hive to look for mites and to see if the remaining bees have deformed wings. 

Milan, will you clarify your comment? I understand the last statement about another hive stealing honey, but I'm confused by what you meant about straightening crooked comb and the seam for the hole.


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## Milan-Slovakia (Sep 30, 2009)

In your introductory comment saying: "But a couple weeks ago I went into the hive to straighten some really crooked comb". I thought the hole in the top bar.If yes, bees number 2 and 3 rob bees number 1 through the hole between the top bar.


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## trustchild (Oct 25, 2009)

Thanks for the clarification Milan. 

My hives have a cover over the bars, so there isn't any space up there for robber bees to sneak in. 

My entrance though is quite big, 1/2" x 6". It could be too big to defend.


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## Milan-Slovakia (Sep 30, 2009)

http://vir.sgmjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/90/2/463


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## trustchild (Oct 25, 2009)

I opened up the hive to take another look. The "live" queen and her few attending workers were all completely still. I took some photos of them, and then put them back in the hive. They sure looked dead, but they were still clinging to the comb. Maybe just dormant in the cool weather.

Have a look:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/4064995071/

I also took some shots of the carnage on the bottom of the hive. There are small red dots, looks like dead varroa mites (?):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/4064975313/

The wings didn't seem deformed, so I'm thinking that they didn't have DWV.

My best theory for the death of this hive is that they were weakened by varroa mites and attacked by yellow jackets. There are queen cells, so maybe a new queen left with most of the stressed out colony? But in October? 

Does this sound plausible?


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## Beethinking (Jun 2, 2008)

Bees with deformed wings tend to leave the hive to die alone, so you may not see them. Judging by the number of mites on the floor of the hive I'm just guessing that they got decimated by Varroa. This happened to one of my hives just the other day. I'd been steadily watching them decline, and two days ago I looked in and there were only a few hundred bees left. I quickly got in and took out 16 bars of honey and left the bees to die. 

The hive right next to them was started with a package from the same source on the same day, yet it is absolutely brimming with bees. 

Matt


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## trustchild (Oct 25, 2009)

Thanks for your replay, Matt.

Should I save the empty bars that have comb on them for another swarm next spring, or should I clean out the hive and harvest the wax and start fresh? Any danger of the Varroa reinfesting another swarm in the same hive? Where does Varroa come from anyway? Can the Varroa survive the winter? How do they winter over?


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## dcross (Jan 20, 2003)

Varroa cannot live without the bees, the combs should be fine for next year.


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## Maine_Beekeeper (Mar 19, 2006)

trust - 

Please don't take offense but I recommend you attend bee school this winter. 
Clearly you need some help with the basics, and Bee School is the best place to get that covered. 
Sorry to hear about your lost colony, 
-Erin


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## trustchild (Oct 25, 2009)

I would love to attend bee school, Erin.

Thanks for the tip.

Until then, I'm in the bee school of learning as I go.

Which is why I'm here. 

Where most people are quite helpful.


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## Maine_Beekeeper (Mar 19, 2006)

Yes, those "dots" are varroa. 

Better luck next spring, 
-Erin


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## Sam-Smith (Jul 26, 2009)

The dead baby bees were probably killed when there wasn't enough bees to cover them. I also see one with its tongue sticking out, would be the same reason not enough attendant bees, all symptoms of a declining hive. Don't give up though  school isn't the only place to learn new things.


Sam.


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## Omie (Nov 10, 2009)

I'm so glad that wasn't your only hive! That would have been just too sad!


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