Losing (lost) a hive....

[slacker361]

Went down to check on the hives, two of the three are doing well. The third is all but dead.... No stores even though I see lots of bees coming and going.... Very little brood (capped) cant find the queen. about 500-800 dead bees (stinky) and the bottom of the hive on the screen..... I think this one is gone..... Since I dont know what caused it....should I even combine the remaining bees in an established hive? and risk losing another hive?

this hive had alot of earwigs in the hive most of the year and also did battle with black ants....ohhh the carnage..... this hive was weak all year long.....

I am sure that it is too late to try and get a queen in there and survive the winter.......

[yockey5]

Sounds like you have foulbrood.

[slacker361]

hmmm well that is a thought..... however all the pics I have seen dont really resemble the situation that I have..... and I hope your not right because then my two other hives will have it.....

[FRAMEshift]

I haven't heard anything yet that suggests foulbrood.  Just a hive that has capped brood and no signs of a currently laying queen.  I would add a frame of eggs and see what happens.

If you are concerned about American Foulbrood, you could open some of the capped brood and look for signs.

[slacker361]

thanks frame shift..... I only have two to two and half months before first frost...... would you still try and save the hive?

[slacker361]

I was just thinking , what if the bees that are in the hive now, are from that hive originally?    what if they are just in there robbing at this point?

[BlueBee]

Sounds like the current residents may just be robbers.  If there are no stores, there is no colony (they starved).  Maybe take a peak in the hive some night and see if there are any bees in there at night.  If not, you've just got curious robbers looking for an easy meal.

In my opinion it's way too late to do a walk away split in the north so I wouldn't waste good winter bee eggs from a good colony on this lost cause.   You might be able to get a queen mated in Sept, but there just isn't enough time for them to build up for winter.  

[FRAMEshift]

thanks frame shift..... I only have two to two and half months before first frost...... would you still try and save the hive?

Depends on how many bees are left in the hive.  If there are 4 or 5 frames of bees left and you are willing to add more capped brood, there might be a chance of saving it.  If not, you could do a combine.  BlueBee has a point.  It is late in the year so this may work better as a combine.

I was just thinking , what if the bees that are in the hive now, are from that hive originally?    what if they are just in there robbing at this point?

You said there were no stores, so I would think there is nothing to rob.  And robbers generally go back to their own hive at night.

[yockey5]

You made a reference to dead bees and "stinky" is why I suggested you look for foulbrood.

[T Beek]

Dead bees smell bad.  If there's a pile of them on the bottom, especially during summer, that would also indicate an abandoned/robbed out hive.

I've got a similar issue w/ a very strong colony in a 'full' LONG hive and no mated queen available to do a split, so have been pondering just taking a few frames of brood from LONG hive and adding them to one of my 'lesser' Lang colonies as an assist, if I do nothing I fear loosing half to a late swarm which would be depressing this late and spell potential doom for both.  This colony was bearding yesterday so time is limited.  Locating a mated queen has been unsuccessful so far.


thomas

[slacker361]

Why would they abandon the hive?  And not swarm?

[BlueBee]

Wax moths, mites, too hot, too cold, too wet, robbed to death.......

If they can't live in relative peace, they vamoose for a better home.