50% of my colonies are dead

[HockeymanVT]

OK, so I only have two hives but it is still a loss.  What puzzles me is why my MUCH bigger colony died and the small one still remains.  Both colonies were alive during the first warm day in January with lots of flights.  The more recent warm day only saw activity from the smaller hive. I tapped on both later and got a buzzzz from the smaller one but silence from the larger.  The larger colony had much more honey stored and always was more robust.  The two hives live side by side on my shed roof. I am thinking of opening up the apparently dead hive to see if I can discover anything useful.  I hope to find at least a good amount of honey and will have lots of drawn comb to jump start the replacement package in the spring. The only other variable I can see is that the big colony had more supers. Any guidance is appreciated.

Doug

[Kathyp]

i am kind of making an observation here.  don't know if it is accurate.

seems many hives are lost in late winter and early spring.  it seems that starvation is the biggest factor.  i know that when i opened my hives the other day, stores were gone.  now i wonder if i had not kept the dry sugar on the inner cover if i might not have lost mine also.

please let us know what you find in there when you check.

[CBEE]

Kathy may have hit the nail on the head. Bigger colony needs more stores than the smaller. I dont know about your weather but we have been 10 to 15 deg below norm the last couple of weeks. You may find it bone dry. But the only way to find out is to pop it open and find out.

[Sir Stungalot]

HockeyMan...here my take on it. Sometimes crap happens and you just don't know why. The exact thing just happend to me. My biggest, scarriest hive, alive just a few weeks ago...POOF! Pile of dead bees in the process of being robbed out. Its neighbor, a pathetic, dinky not-even-one-frame cluster is alive and well.
I KNOW there is a reason these things happen but sometimes I just do not see it.  I get mad then I get over it and say "Hey! I have extra eqpt. now!".  Allright, I know that is a pretty sorry sounding thing to say but what else CAN you say?
Sorry for your loss..been there, done that... but think on the bright side..you can learn to make a split without having to buy any new stuff!

[JP]

> The only other variable I can see is that the big colony had more supers. Any guidance is appreciated.

Doug

Sometimes too much space in a wintering hive is the culprit. Sorry for your loss.

....JP

[rdy-b]

What did you use for your mite trearment and when did you treat -RDY-B

[beekeeperookie]

well i lost one of my hives sometime between this break in the weather and the last break in January.  I am down one hive an the others are still kicking.  I put out all the leftover honey filled frames for the two other hives to clean out.  But you live an learn :'(