The hive is buzzing like it was the middle of Summer

[D Coates]

I'm sorry for your loss.  The smell is from the dead cluster.  Separate the frames the cluster is on and get all the bees you can off of the frame.  If they dry out the decomposition and smell stops or slows dramatically.  I did this yesterday for a dead out I found.  The one thing I did that I don't think you can is to rap the frame on the hive body to "eject" the dead bees from the comb.  It does work well, especially if the dead are moist or wet.  I use plastic foundation and I had one of them pop out of some of the groove I hit it so hard.  I popped it right back in and wondered how natural foundation folks handle this but kept working.

At the least use the drawn frames for the swarm traps.  The unremoved dead will be quickly removed by a new swarm or hive either way.  Going from wired wax to, or from plastic foundation or anything else is the beekeepers choice.  Do what fits your beekeeping style.  I do the plastic for ease of assembly and the durability.  It's a little tougher to get them to draw it out but once they do they are all but bulletproof.

[T Beek]

Don't wait till spring to clean them up, you'll be sorry, do it asap.

thomas

[backyard warrior]

My  one hive is doing the same thing that dms is i hope they arent on the verge of dying too time will tell