what is this white crystal like debris in frame?

[tandemrx]

had a colony die over the winter - it went in very weak and I didn't insulate well from wisconsin winter.  I really didn't think it would make it anyway.  It didn't.

But, was getting hive ready for a new package and 2 things were of interest.

1.  In many of the frames in the upper box there were bees head first cells - say clusters of 50-100.  All dead, but head first in a cell.  There was also a good pile on the bottom of the hive.  Funny thing is, it didn't seem to be starvation because the hive is loaded with honey, top box and bottom box.  I assume they just didn't have enough population to cluster and died trying to stay warm in a cell.  Any other thoughts.

2.  More importantly what is this white crystalline type debris seen in many of the cells?  It is found covering much of the portions of the frame that does not have honey in it.

certainly isn't bee eggs.  But what is it.??  Click on image to see full size image where debris is quite evident.

Thanks for any help.

[buzzbee]

It looks like the remnants of cappings.

[harvey]

I had some in my hive after I fed dry sugar.  Seems they stored dry sugar in some of the cells?  I thought they would have eaten it but that what was in many cells, dry sugar?

[JP]

It looks like the remnants of cappings.

Same to me.

Bees head first in cells dead, sign they starved. Bees can starve in cold, cold temps even with feed nearby, but not close enough. They don't want to leave cluster if very cold temps, feed has to be very close by.


...JP

[tandemrx]

never thought of remants of cappings, not a bad thought - though it looks so crystalline that it still throws me a bit.  I don't think I put any dry sugar on this hive, but will have to look back at notes or think a bit on this one.

Each frame in this hive had a bunch of honey in it - nice full pattern surrounding what had been brood or plain full frames.  But, the numbers were not good going into winter, so they just might not have been able to move from their cluster enough I guess . . . although they were in a 6 or 7 frames.  Probably just too cold.  I had put on a screened bottom board on this hive (Country Rube board) and although I had the plastic bottom board in, I really needed to bolster the insulation on the bottom - that thin plastic just doesn't seem to be enough for a Wisconsin winter. . . . sadly just never got around to it.

[Robo]

I don't think I put any dry sugar on this hive, but will have to look back at notes or think a bit on this one.

It doesn't have to be from feeding DRY sugar.  If you fed sugar syrup,  it can also crystallize in the cells and give the same appearance.

It should be easy to distinguish capping remnants from sugar though.  The sugar would be clear to pure white, while the cappings will have a yellow hue.  Hard to tell from the picture, but certainly could be either.

[RayMarler]

Many times honey will crystalize over the winter and show as white crystals in the cells, looks like sugar. Your pic don't exactly look like that to me though, so not sure.

[Finski]

.
My bees robbed just out one winter food frame. They licked the liguid sugar syrup and it was left into cells same looking sugar clystals and as many as in the picture.

So if the hive has died, otside bees have robbed the frames later?