Disaster struck. Both hives dead. Help.

[Cindi]

Jeff, ditto to what JP said.  Don't consider yourself a bad beekeeper.  We have all learned some lessons the hardest ways, I am one of those in particular.  You will do well with your bees, you have learned a lesson that I know you will try hard to not repeat, I can feel that in your writings.  So carry on, it is sad for surely, but don't let that stop you, be strong, get lots more bees and you will be successful, you are learning, we are all learning.  Have a beautiful, wonderfully great day, Cindi

[Jingles]

Gosh, I'm sorry, Jeff. It is so sad.



Love,

[Brian D. Bray]

So is starvation a sign of a bad beekeeper or bad luck? 

Mostly severe weather.  The colder the weather the more honey the bees consume and the longer it is cold the faster they consume it.  That's a double edged sword that even heavy feeding in the fall may not overcome.

What can be done to prevent this in the future?
Thanks,
Jeff

When feeding force your bees to backfill (honey bound) the brood chamber as much as possible and leave the burr comb alone going into winter.  The bees can store several extra pounds of honey in the burr comb that, during a severe winter, could make the difference on whether or not a hive dies of starvation or not.

Bees will die of starvation in a hive half full of honey if the weather is severe enough that they can't break cluster to get to the honey and move some into the cluster core.