Winter Colony Loss

[britt.reynolds.5]

Hello.  First post for this new beekeeper, so please redirect me if I post this in the wrong place.  I started one hive from a package last April and had what I thought was a pretty decent first year.  I had some SHB that I managed with traps and manual dispatching.  My mite counts were consistently low, so I never treated.  Today, the temps are in the mid 50's, so I took the opportunity to check the syrup in the feeder for the first time in 6-7 weeks.  Unfortunately, the remaining bees are all dead.  I am hoping some of you might have suggestions about where I went wrong.

Although I would guess I had around 50,000 bees by June or so, I started thinking in October that their numbers had gotten dangerously low (I'm guessing less than 5,000).  Looking back, my first thought is that I did not realize how hard the dry Summer was on them.  I started feeding in late September with a frame feeder.  I had started them in April with an entrance feeder but removed it as soon as I felt like they were foraging successfully and had the impression that I should stay away from feeding as long as there was any nectar at all to be found.  Should I have been feeding in July and August?  I left all of the fairly small honey stores for them.  We had several nights last week with lows of 11 deg F, and I'm thinking the small cluster just couldn't generate enough heat.  Maybe I should have removed one of the two deeps so they'd have a smaller space to heat, or maybe I should have used a blanket during the hard freezes?

I now have the materials for a second hive for the Spring which should give me some more options.  If I find myself going into the Winter with such small numbers in the future, maybe I can combine the hives or add a few healthy frames from a stronger hive to a weaker hive.

Thanks,
Britt

[Psparr]

There shouldn't be syrup in the hive during winter. They won't take it, and if they could, the moisture content is too high.
You should feed in early fall if they are light on stores.
There's many reasons a hive can die, but I suspect you lost your queen somehow and it was too late in the year for another one to get mated.

[Aroc]

I have heard that even though your mute counts were low they can get away from you in a big hurry.  I think most often mites are the culprit especially if you never treated.

[britt.reynolds.5]

Thanks Psparr and Aroc.  I last saw my queen on 11/13.  I guess I can't totally rule out the possibility of a December mite surge.  Is that common/likely? 

[Aroc]

If it happened it would have happened late in the year.  Late summer or into fall when the hive population explodes.   I just know mites are such a major problem they shouldn't be ignored.  I made a mistake late in the year and have been worrying about my bees ever since.  Mine are still alive but I still am worried about the mites.

[cao]

Welcome. 

I tend to agree with Psparr.  There are many reasons why a hive could die over winter.  Usually its a combination of things.  In your case, it could have been the low bee numbers, low stores, too much space, too much moisture from syrup, or mites. 

I've noticed that the last couple of years that the dearth(july-aug.) has been rough on my bees.  There has been no pollen coming in so the bees haven't been able to raise more.  The numbers decline pretty quickly.  I have resorted to feeding a pollen substitute to help them keep their numbers up.  I think that during the summer when checking the hives a beekeeper needs to check on pollen stores as well as brood to make sure that they got enough bees for winter. 

I also weigh my hives in the late fall to see if they have enough stores.  If not then I will put a sugar brick in them.  You could also use fondant or the mountain camp method.  As long as it is dry feed over winter.  Hope this helps.
 

[britt.reynolds.5]

Thank you cao.  There is nothing like losing a colony when it comes to learning a lesson.  I may not be the most perfect sugar roller yet, so I won't claim that my mite counts have been absolute.  That said, I have never counted more than 4 mites per 300 bees, so it doesn't seem like mites would have been their biggest challenge to this hive.  My takeaways are to pay more attention to pollen so I can provide supplements and to use sugar cakes next winter.  There was probably also no benefit to leaving my second deep on since it did not contain significant honey stores.

I would love to hear some examples of smaller clusters surviving Winters.  I live at about 1800 ft in southeast TN where Winter is mild, but we will see occasional single digits.  I'm curious about how cold other small colonies are regularly able to survive without some assistance like a blanket.

[Psparr]

It has more to do with moisture than cold. Go outside when it's cold, then spray yourself down with a hose and try the same thing.

[BeeMaster2]

Britt,
Why were you inspecting your hive in November to the point that you could find the queen? I am way south of you and I do not go into the brood box that late in the year. I did have some hives that I had to reduce down late thios year but I still do not disturb the brood.
Jim

[Acebird]

Although I would guess I had around 50,000 bees by June or so, I started thinking in October that their numbers had gotten dangerously low (I'm guessing less than 5,000).  Looking back, my first thought is that I did not realize how hard the dry Summer was on them.

I am not in favor of feeding bees because I don't have to.  If your bees had nothing to eat then the brood rearing shuts down and the hive will dwindle exponentially.  You can't look at population and decide to feed it is too late.  You have to look at stores while they still have the population.  I am glad I don't have to deal with summer dearths.
Good luck with your next hives.

[britt.reynolds.5]

Good question sawdstmakr.  It was very warm here until the end of December.  I was removing my super in November when I happened upon my queen which was actually the first time I had ever seen her.

Good points on feeding Acebird.  I plan to take cao's advice (and yours) to pay closer attention to pollen and supplement before it's too late next season.

[britt.reynolds.5]

Update:  There are still survivors!  The freakishly warm temps in the 70's this week have brought some activity.  No way of knowing yet whether I have a queen or how many will make it, but I'm glad I didn't rush to clean out my hive.  It had previously appeared that the last 100 or so bees had died in their cluster, but I did not disturb their bodies.  I'll be amazed if they are able to survive the next couple of months in such small numbers.  I am tempted to consolidate into a single deep.  Would anyone care to advise me on whether or not this would be more harmful than helpful at this point?

[Acebird]

My opinion, 100 or so bees isn't worth do anything even in the middle of a heavy flow.  If they somehow survive it will take the whole season to try and fill a deep.

[Rurification]

For next winter, consider putting quilt boxes on your hives.   That made a huge difference for me being able to get my colonies through our variable winters.   

[paus]

What is a quilt box , how is it made, does it help small hives in cold weather?

[bwallace23350]

I am pretty sure I lost  one of my hives. I think it starved to death because of the drought. Fortunately I know there are suviver hives near by so I am going to catch a wild hive in the spring or so I hope.