Lost one hive so far, I don't know what happened. Help Please

Myron Rotruck · January 29, 2007, 05:13:39 PM

I had a hive that I got from the wild, I requeened it, then later in year had V mites, put powdered sugar in about three different times and it seemed like they were going to do good. I checked them today and as I lifted the top, I could smell something like fermentation or mildew, the foundation had mildew on it as well as the dead bees themselves. You could see where I guess other bees had come in and took the honey, for there were alot of caps on the bottom board, even the bottom board had some mildew on it. Can you tell me what attacted my hive. And how can I help prevent this from happening again. The hive is in good shape, good top and bottom etc.
I am really disapointed, it seems like it is so hard just to keep a hive alive anymore, much less take any honey. I had three hives and I couldn't never get one of those hives realy going strong, it seemed like it always something. :'(

buzzbee · January 29, 2007, 05:53:44 PM

Did you have good ventilation to get rid of the moisture?
Moisture will kill bees before the cold will.

latebee · January 29, 2007, 06:34:06 PM

Only a guess here-but it could be a deadout because of American Foulbrood which does produce an off smell in the hive.

Kirk-o · January 29, 2007, 08:28:00 PM

Yes It can bee pretty Disappointing.I would have my bees die every year I started
useing small cell with feral bees with a screened bottom board and when I re queened I got a queen from Michael Bush .The queens I've purchased were Duds also ecept Michael Bush's queens.Go and read Michael Bush's web page it will give you some hope
I started succeeding when I started reading his page
good luck
kirk-o :roll: :-D :-D

Cindi · January 29, 2007, 08:53:11 PM

If it smells of fermentation or mildew, I would not think that it is American Foulbrood. AFB has a wretched smell. I have not smelled AFB, but I have read that it is horrible and very very pronounced. Smells like rotten eggs, fishy, just something horrible. The match stick put into one of the cells that may have dead larvae to see if the dead mass of larvae has a "ropey" sticky appearance when it is pulled out of the hive should be tried. That is the sure sign of AFB.

I am going on the fact that if it smells of mildew, that there was not enough ventilation too. The bees would have had water/condensation fall on them and chilled/killed them.

Do you hve some kind of cut out on the inner cover for the moist air to escape?

Wait for other members of the forum to respond. You will get more good ideas and things to check out. Great day. Cindi

Michael Bush · January 29, 2007, 09:00:35 PM

Do the AFB test with a stick. But I'm guessing they were robbed. The question is really whether they were robbed first and starved or they were robbed after they died.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesrobbing.htm

gottabee · February 01, 2007, 11:01:29 PM

I feel your pain. Last year I lost several hives. I fed late into the fall and earlly winter trying to build up late season splits. The unripe honey smelled spoiled or fermented. I believe the result from SHB spoiling the uncapped stores. I beileve leaving sugar on too long attracted the SHB. What a mess.
I would be concerned with moisture if significant mildew was present. Although it seems inadequate stores are a major factor which contributes to loss this time of year and into February.
One of my lost hives was a recovered ferel colony about 14 years old. Ouch. I am learning that probably no single factor is usually responsible for the death of a hive. This may be a good thing because it causes me to take a broader look at factors which affect the life cycle and overall health of the hive. Forums like this and especially my journal are very benefitial.
Last year I was extremely disappointed and blamed myself for my losses. This year the results are better but I am not satisfied. I have come to realize that beekeeping is not an event, it is a journey.
Hang in there. Hope you have a great 2007 season.

TwT · February 01, 2007, 11:10:09 PM

from what I have heard AFB smells rotten like something dead, not fermentation or mildew, if you have mold on the comb I would think that you didn't have a top vent and the moisture generator by the heat your bee's put off caused moisture to collect up top and drip on your bee's, when its cold bee's keep a good temp unless they are wet then they will freeze... but with mold I would think moisture problem.....

Kirk-o · February 02, 2007, 08:56:08 PM

Next time you get a wild hive think a minute before you re-queen she might be a good one
kirk-o

I like wild bees

Brian D. Bray · February 05, 2007, 05:32:31 PM

AFB smells like rotting meat. Kind of like a battle ground on the second or third day. You usually get a good wiff of it as you pull the inner cover. Always do this slowly and take time to inhale a good batch of air. The aroma will tell you a lot about what is going on inside the hive.

Requeening doesn't always solve problems, it sometimes creates them. I always wait to see how well a queen picked up in a swarm will preform before making any discission. A swarm queen might only be last years hatch and still very viable. I tend to requeen on a case by case basis. Wholesale queen replacement has always caused as many problems as its cured when I've tried it. Inducing problems into hives that didn't have any seems counter productive.

Apis629 · February 06, 2007, 04:08:19 PM

I'm wondering if the mildew is an after affect? Perhaps it was the moisture that killed the bees and, the mildew occurred afterwards. AFB does create a foul smell but, remember it would smell like rotting meat or something simmilar, not mold. Mildew is fungal. AFB is bacterial. I'd be willing to sepculate that these bees were either robbed or, succumbed to an unrelated disease.

KONASDAD · February 06, 2007, 04:38:14 PM

Perhaps its the fall collapse disorder referenced in a few articles in disease section.

Kathyp · February 06, 2007, 05:29:25 PM

perhaps they were weakened by mites. i know some use the powdered sugar method as their only control for mites, but if the problem was bad, it may not have been enough. most people i have talked to, don't really consider the powdered sugar as a way to do much other than help reduce mite populations between treatment. mites also weaken hives enough that other diseases can take over.

Myron Rotruck · February 06, 2007, 11:03:45 PM

I went and cleaned out that hive, and the more I think about it, I am going to say that water getting in the hive was what happened. We got about 6" to 8" of rain here in about a week or so, about two weeks or so before I noticed the hive had died. I also know that those bees were in good shape before the rain, because I caught them robbing another hive that I have here on the place, and they had quite a bit of honey, so I know the didn't starve. I just don't belive they got robbed then died, because these bees were all in balls on each frame, just like they would be if they were cool, no I belive they got moisture in the hive and got chilled and died, then mildew set in. then the robbers found them dead and they made hast while they could. I thank you folks for the input, I really don't think I would have figured that moisture would have been the culpurt if it had not been for you'als input. Thanks