Hive Dead- What happened?

[bullybrink]

I opened my hive this afternoon for the first inspection this year. Outside of the hive directly in front were dead bees (probably a few hundred or so). There were about a dozen dead bees on the inner cover. From there I found dead bees everywhere. Some were on top of the frames, hanging from the frames, in the cells, just pretty much everywhere. There was plenty of honey left but on the outer sides of almost every frame there was this white stuff inside the cells. It looked creamy and white and some of it was packed solid in the cell and other was white and grainy looking about the size of sand and packed in lightly. I have no idea what this is. Is this what killed them? Can I use these frames again or do I need to destroy them? I have only been keeping bees for 2 years so this is still all relatively new to me.

[D Coates]

I'd bet the white stuff you're looking at is granulated honey.  Were there bees in a cluster with their heads in their cells?  Were there any capped cells or larva of any form?  Did you find a queen in the dead?  Any spotting in the hive?

[Kathyp]

probably some mold and sounds like some moldy brood.

any chance you can take multiple pics and post them for us to look at?  do it before you do any cleaning up so we can see it as you did.

if you don't have enough posts to be able to post pics, one of the moderators can do it for you.

[scdw43]

Cut out a piece of comb and send it in, its free. Send in the bees also.

http://ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=7472

[AllenF]

Ya, a pic is worth a thousand words. 

[bullybrink]

Cut out a piece of comb and send it in, its free. Send in the bees also.

http://ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=7472

This is good to know. I will try to get some pics on later today.