# Hive died - can I use the frames for new bees?



## WillH (Jun 25, 2010)

HB newbe said:


> Can I use these boxes and frames with the new bees that I'm going to be getting (packages) in April?
> Since I'm totally new, these frames are the only ones that I have with drawn comb and if I can use them, it will really give the new hive a head start.


Yes of course. Bees are experts at cleaning things. They will use what they can and throw out the rest. It will definitely give a head start to a package. Just make sure to do some testing to find out if mites are present, visual observations are not enough.


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## beegeorge (Apr 19, 2012)

"large pile of dead bees in the front of the hive" makes me wonder about the location of your hive,, you may have lost it due to pesticides


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## HB newbe (Mar 10, 2016)

Thank You WillH. That makes me feel a lot better. ) 

beegeorge - I have wondered the same thing. We live high in the mountains with only a handful of neighbors (most of whom don't garden) but the timber industry does like to spray a triple strength herbicide on all freshly logged areas. I'm not sure what I'm going to do if that was the culprit...
Thanks for answering!


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## Billyj (Mar 21, 2016)

I have wondered the same thing?


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

large pile of dead bees especally if fanned out in front of the hive like they were trying to get away but just couldn't make it would give me pause. Might send off a sample of comb for pesticide poisoning too.


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## rwurster (Oct 30, 2010)

The best resources for starting a new hive comes from a dead out in the form of drawn comb/s  I see a loss as an excellent jump start for a new colony.


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## HB newbe (Mar 10, 2016)

Thanks everyone
Two days ago I noticed a honeybee on some crocus in my garden. In the 8 years we've lived up here I've never seen a honeybee and the nearest beekeeper is around 5 miles away. Throughout the day other honeybees visited. ) I'm thinking that my hive had swarmed last summer and they survived the winter. I still think that my hive was probably lost to something like poisoning but I'm very happy that the other half made it. ) I'm going to try to find the tree by putting out bait stations and follow them. If nothing else it will be fun. )


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