# My Bees died over the winter :(



## JimBee53 (Mar 7, 2014)

Hi everyone, Im jim. Im from Michigan.


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## djastram (May 1, 2011)

Mine did too JimBee53. 25 of 27 dead.

I'm in South Dakota.


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## JimBee53 (Mar 7, 2014)

25 out of 27 hives ?that really sucks. What do you think killed them the cold winter we all had ?


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## djastram (May 1, 2011)

We were below zero for too long. The bees were all head first in the cells, 2 inches from a new patch of honey. 

On the bright side, I have honey to extract when it warms a bit.


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

Welcome Jim!


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## BeeMoose (Oct 19, 2013)

Hello Jim. Welcome to the forum. Sorry about your bees. I am still waiting my first package to arrive on 4/16.

Lots of information and helpful folks here.


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## JimBee53 (Mar 7, 2014)

JimBee53 said:


> Hi everyone, Im jim. Im from Michigan.


I have a question if someone can answer . So all my bees died in the hive this winter . There saw a lot of honey for them plus sugar cakes I've put in the hive . But what I see is verrla mites on the bottom board. No a lot but some .and they are under the dead bees that fell off the boards . I've found some bees still in cells after the honey. They all look very heathy. No deformities no mold just dead . Can those mites have killed ALL my bees ? And to start another colony how do I prepare the hive ? Should I scrap all the frames spotless of comb/honey and start fresh or can I just remove all the old bees and mites and let the new colony resume ?


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## JimBee53 (Mar 7, 2014)

Thanks for the welcome


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## susannah (Mar 24, 2014)

Firstly, my sincere condolences got out to you folks who have lost your bee colonies. 
I am an artist looking for dead bees for a sculpture project that will bring attention and awareness to the ecological plight of our bees dying off! I will be happy to pay for shipping and also to offer some money for the bees and the help of getting them to me. I am hoping to acquire several thousand bees, so it will take a bunch of folks chipping in to accomplish this task. Please let me know if you would like to contribute to this project.


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## JimBee53 (Mar 7, 2014)

Email me. [email protected] I'll be glad to help


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## BoilerJim (Apr 15, 2011)

Welcome Jim from Jim in Indiana. I lost 9 out of 11 hives. I am blaming the cold as well.


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## BeeNurse (Mar 23, 2014)

I'm sorry to hear of your losses. I lost two of two hives last fall. All were doing well, then in Sep, onc crashed, the other robbed the first. I had 3 brood hives, and a 10lb sugar block on second. Still all dead this string. Honey and sugar left, I think it was mites. I plan on harvesting what I can, and using the comb. Question ? Now that all has been frozen, there should be no mite problem with using comb?, Second question, how would I extract crystalized honey from combs/ thanks for your time, Russ


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