Hive that appeared healthy just died

Two weeks ago my bees were out foraging as I saw pollen being brought back and it seemed here in Pacific Northwest like the hive came through the first winter all right. I had a moisture quilt on top and wood chip insulation on tray below so the hive seemed cozy. Last week we had a downturn in weather with some chilly nights at freezing or below and I noticed the hive was unusually quiet. When the weather warmed a bit I checked and there were a few very lethargic bees but thousands of dead bees at the bottom of the hive. I saw a little bit of mold on the quilt below the wood chips. All the frames appeared empty so my supposition is that this many bees just ran out of food. The bee bodies look normal and I have no indication of varroa on the bottom tray. I had treated the hive in late summer and the mites that came late appeared gone completely. Any other ideas on what caused this or what else to look for?

Hi, I’m sorry you lost your bees. Especially when it sounds like you have been on top of things and they had already made it this far through winter. Sadly, the cold snap you describe coming after they’d used up their stores and at a time when there isn’t much nectar to be had in your region, if any, is probably the reason your bees died. They need a lot of fuel to keep themselves warm. Here in SE PA I find it necessary to feed in late winter even when I’ve left a lot of capped honey in the hive in fall, because of the erratic weather and sparse forage.

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Eva, thanks for your reply. I fed them some sugar syrup three weeks ago but noticed dead bees at bottom of feeder as if they got too wet and died. Do you feed them raw sugar or something else?

I agree with @Eva - late winter is the most critical time for starvation. Sometimes they’ve started ramping up and used up their stores only to be caught off guard and then starve.

Regular granulated white sugar is the best option, especially when it is colder.

Also, you can be surprised at how many mites are present mid-winter even after effective late summer treatment - many people will do a treatment with oxalic acid when the colony is nearly or totally broodless around the winter solstice.

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I feed granulated white sugar unless I have some honey (from my apiary). I happen to have some that’s crystallized and have been putting globs of it into a sheet of waxed paper right on the top bars.

Hi @Greshambeekeeper

How much did you give them and what concentration?

It hardly matters as the weather is just too cool this time of the year in OR for the bees to take syrup.

The concentration was 1:1. They took some but they seemed to be flying out getting at least some nectar it seemed.

I saw a video that indicated if bees had a virus they normally left the hive to die. In this case they died in the hive so I don’t think a virus was the cause. There were a few struggling bees but not many.

What video was that? I don’t think dead bees inside the hive can eliminate the possibility of high colony viral load.

Just something to consider for next year, try an accelerated mite drop with OA between Thanksgiving and Christmas and see what you see.

It kind of does. It was not cold enough in that area.

Portland International Airport station

It is too late for this colony, but here is some information for the future.

The syrup for replenishing stores is 2:1 (2 of sugar, 1 of water) in general. For winter feed it is particularly important. The less concentrated syrup “overloads” the digestive system with water. Higher concentration may lead to crystallisation of the syrup.

Feeding syrup in the winter is not a normal practice, but rather an emergency measure. Normally, it should be done in the autumn if colonies are light on stores.

How to feed the syrup in the winter:

The temperature should be not lower than 2-4°C. The best way is to fill a brown comb frame with syrup directly. For the wintertime, it is better to have a setup that allows opening the box partially. Some sort of mat does the trick. This allows opening frames from outside until the edge of the cluster could be seen. Frame with syrup goes right next to the cluster. If the colony is weak, it is better to fill only one side of the frame - the one closer to the cluster. One frame contains 1.5-2 kg of syrup. This will last them about one month.

A top feeder could be used as well, but this method is not as good as the one above.

Candy (1 kg) is another option if the air humidity is high.

The Youtube video is from Megan Milbrath from Michigan State University Extension Service and she’s been a beekeeper for 25 years. Here is the link as I found it helpful: Why Did My Honey Bees Die? - YouTube

Thanks so much for posting this. What is a brown comb frame that holds the syrup that you refer to in your message?

The comb that have been used for brood production. It contains cocoons leftovers that makes it brown or “dark”. An opposite will be “light” comb used for storing honey only. Dark comb conducts heat not as good as light comb (pure wax) and works as an additional insulator.

Thanks. I have a lot to learn. I didn’t realize the frame would hold the syrup.

You mean ambient temperature? If the syrup is below 50°F/10°C the bees won’t take it - but using an frame feeder can raise the syrup temperature some as opposed to a Miller type feeder or an external/entrance feeder.

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Good information. Thanks.

Yes, the ambient temperature. The temperature of syrup for top feeder - 40-45°C. The feeder goes under the top insulation (a pillow, blanket - whatever is used).