Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Orlando on June 03, 2013, 11:14:50 AM

Title: Normal deaths?
Post by: Orlando on June 03, 2013, 11:14:50 AM
What is a relatively normal amount of dead bees I should see near hive?

Just installed a swarm...trying to see if just some older bees died and were carried out or if there is an issue?

thanls
Title: Re: Normal deaths?
Post by: don2 on June 03, 2013, 11:35:38 AM
I would say anything over a half doz. or so wasn't normal. d2
Title: Re: Normal deaths?
Post by: Kathyp on June 03, 2013, 11:47:45 AM
depends.  if you installed the swarm and then drove it home over 20 miles of bumpy road, you may end up with many dead.  if you caught it in your own yard, just a few normal deaths.

bees die every day.  most of the time we don't see the dead because the housekeepers clear them away. 
Title: Re: Normal deaths?
Post by: rwurster on June 04, 2013, 12:14:22 AM
Crop dusters hit the 80 acres of alfalfa next door that has been blooming for a week.  Whenever the dusters hit during an alfalfa bloom I see mounds of dead bees outside their hives.  Normally though, not many... as in 5 - 10 per hive on a bad day.