# Perished hive, what to do next?



## gezellig (Jun 11, 2014)

Were there dead bees in the hive? If so, here's what I would do. Send some of the dead bees and piece of comb to the Beltsville, MD facility for testing, (it's free), and freeze the combs while waiting for the results. If it turns out there wasn't any diseases/pesticides that could kill your alive hive, then feed it to them. I would wait on the results though since you don't know what killed them.


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## HappyBeeing (Apr 6, 2013)

Cold bees are not on the bottom....probably in the middle of combs.Bees cluster Tightly in the cold and it just "looks" like they are gone.Windows become useless until Spring. The one hive sounds normal to me especially if you have Carnies (or local mutts) that reduce a Lot when it gets cold.The comb helps them keep warm as insulation, but in reality they keep each other warm in a very tight ball. I can't see ANY bees through my window ALL winter because the window is colder and damper than the spot they choose to cluster. You'll think they are dead a dozen times but don't give up and don't open them and get them all cold if they have enough honey to last the winter! My 3 bars of bees Made it in a TB full of honey last winter. Your "perished" hive probably swarmed late and you just didn't see them leave. The few left were probably nurse bees that couldn't fly yet.Without a hive full of dead,it doesn't sound like pesticide although it could be mite die off if you didn't treat them in some way....but "sounds" like a late swarm left to me.I had that happen this year in a nuc....all gone in late Sept except about 100. Best wishes! First year and winter are the most stressing as it's a longgggg waiting game sometimes.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Dead bees in November, if they did not starve, I would suspect Varroa...


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## Delta Bay (Dec 4, 2009)

> I assumed the bees would stay on the comb to keep warm; do they all hang out on the bottom of the hive when it's cold?


Are you saying that the bees in your alive hive are not clustered on the combs but rather sitting on the floor? If so this doesn't sound good.


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## bjamesvw (Apr 17, 2014)

Michael Bush said:


> Dead bees in November, if they did not starve, I would suspect Varroa...


If it is varroa, would I harm the new hives by using the honey reserves from the perished hive into my existing hive? Can Varroa mites be frozen and killed?


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## bjamesvw (Apr 17, 2014)

Delta Bay said:


> Are you saying that the bees in your alive hive are not clustered on the combs but rather sitting on the floor? If so this doesn't sound good.


I thought they were on the floor, but when I used a flashlight I discovered that they were in between the combs but not close enough to the side for me to see them.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>If it is varroa, would I harm the new hives by using the honey reserves from the perished hive into my existing hive? 

It will not harm your other hives.

>Can Varroa mites be frozen and killed?

If the bees are dead, the Varroa are dead.


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## bjamesvw (Apr 17, 2014)

I did an inspection of the hive I thought was dead and there are about 100 bees and the queen left. There did not appear to be any brood they were maintaining. I'm not planning on them making it through the winter, but I don't think it's worth stealing their honey just yet for my other hive. 
Is there a way to check mite levels if you don't have a removable bottom board?
Thanks for everyone's help!


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## gezellig (Jun 11, 2014)

The Queen is still there and a few bees, I'm a returning beek, but everything I read and watch says that is classic signs of CCD. Of which no definitive cause has been verdied. Some of you more experienced guys chime in, is that correct?


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