Colony disaster

jaredintucson · August 25, 2009, 04:13:42 AM

I'm a novice beekeeper who has kept bees for two years now. I keep one colony in my backyard. The colony has always done well and has had no problems. Two weeks ago I checked in on them and everything was normal. At that time there was a normal amount of brood, my queen was there doing her thing and there was large vibrant workforce. Sunday when I went out there to check on the hive again, things were quite different. The queen is gone, there are no eggs, there's no brood and there are very few live bees. There are however dead bees everywhere. They're all over the landing board and there are thousands of dead bees scattered on the ground in front of the hive. Does anyone know what could have caused this? :(

RayMarler · August 25, 2009, 04:41:51 AM

My guess would be one of two things...
Robbing
or
Poison, probably got into some insecticide spraying somewhere in the neighborhood.

I would lean more towards the poison theory myself.

indypartridge · August 25, 2009, 07:46:15 AM

Sounds like pesticide to me.

jaredintucson · August 25, 2009, 02:18:30 PM

That's what I was afraid of. I don't live near any agricultural areas but I guess someone in the neighborhood could have been spraying.

Thanks for replying.

jaredintucson · August 25, 2009, 05:44:53 PM

One more question to go with the first. If indeed it was pesticide, do you think the honey sitting in the supers is good for consumption? It's pretty much all capped and ready for extraction. I would think that since most of the honey in there was produced well before the colony collapsed, that the honey should be fine.

RayMarler · August 25, 2009, 10:09:54 PM

If it was me, I'd call the honey good and slurp it all up!

Cossack · August 26, 2009, 09:28:39 AM

It sounds like pesticide.

As for eating the honey. You saw what it did to your bees. I would not ingest the honey.

leave it for your bees to over winter.

fish_stix · August 26, 2009, 10:31:22 AM

Cossack; are you having a "DUH" day? If you wouldn't eat the honey due to pesticides why would you try to overwinter your bees on it?

Jared; make a cage out of #8 screen and place 20-30 bees in it along with some of the stored honey. If they die don't eat the honey!

fish_stix · August 26, 2009, 10:35:26 AM

Sorry! Double post!

gardeningfireman · August 26, 2009, 10:39:00 AM

If the honey is already capped, I would think that they ingested the insecticide after they capped it. Therefore, it would be safe to eat.
Alan

giant pumpkin peep · August 26, 2009, 10:56:19 AM

I like fish sticks idea. Or find the neghbor some how who sprayed to much pesticide and let him try it out. :devilbanana: I am sorry for your loss.

sarafina · August 26, 2009, 05:37:43 PM

I am sorry for your loss. :'(