DEADOUT - Why Did They Die? - post-mortem hive check (not my bees) - Emmy Bee Vlogs | S3 E1 2019

[@Dynamaik0220]

This is horrifying when you think about it. It's like every single inhabitant of an entire city died at the same time. I don't even own bees but I would propably cry my eyes out for an entire week if that happened to me.

[@alphaxanon]

It would be as if there was this entirely preventable disease, but everyone in a city died because not enough people were vaccinated.

[@Dynamaik0220]

@@alphaxanon except that you can't really prevent mites in the first place, you have to treat them when an outbreak happens. But afaik this can happen so fast that there's nothing you can do about it, and even if you noticed it early enough there's a possibility that the mite treatment has no effect at all.

[@barbwellman6686]

In the US, after the last honey ( for human consumption is removed) and the core hive prepares for winter, vaporized oxalic acid will kill varroa. Some beekeepers on KZbin use a Walmart insecticide fogger

[@charlesboland9851]

@@Dynamaik0220 To be a good beekeeper you first have to be good at managing your mite loads. You constantly monitor and never let them get to the threshold of infestation. Use treatment to fit the load and there are several all the way up to chemical. When you treat, come back 2 weeks later and recheck to ensure the treatment worked. Yes, mites are becoming resistant to some of the chemical miticides and because of this do not rely on the advertising.

[@christinad4432]

I agree! I’m confused as to why that lady even had bees. She didnt seem like she knew much about how to properly care for them..🤷‍♀️

[@ChefMimsy]

The level of knowledge you need to keep bees is really high. I won't complain about the price my local producers charge for their honey any more!

[@decaturridgebees8761]

Thx

[@videossati]

How much is hany?In Serbia 6$.

[@mikkj1]

What this series is teaching me is what a fine line beekeepers have to walk, and how many threats there are to a hive. Bees work so hard for us, it's a damn shame that there aren't better treatments for these things.

[@emmymadeextras]

True. As a keepers, I think we do our best to be responsible, but even with our best efforts some times we lose.

[@barbwellman6686]

Oxalic acid, vaporized.

[@mikkj1]

@Barb Wellman I know, but it can only be used sparingly since it also harms the bees. That's why I said, "better treatments" - something fatal to mites that wouldn't hurt the bees. That way you could use it all the time.

[@lenoretalon9958]

mikkj1 There are. She just didn’t do what she needed too🤬

[@julieenslow5915]

Beekeeping is so much harder now that it was 50 years ago. The feral bees are almost all gone - in some places they are 100% gone. The diseases, the Verroa Destructor mites, the changes in farming and landscaping which have robbed them of much of their food sources and introduced pesticides and fungicides, the small hive beetles, the wax moths, the Africanized bees... what did I miss? The list looks a little shorter than usual... Anyway, its a lot tougher. Any mistake can be fatal to the colony. Buy honey - support the beekeepers - they are in a huge battle and need all the support we can give them. Also, plant flowers in your yard. If you own commercial property, plant flowers in the parking area, on the perimeters. If you own farmland, the more diversity in crops you give the bees, the more they can grow and propagate your crops for you. For free. But you have to find a way to care for crops without pesticides. If pesticides are absolutely required - talk to your beekeepers (in a 3 mile radius of you). Discuss when and how its being done. Depending on the pesticide or fungicide, there may be things they can do to save the bees. (locking them in the hive the day of and after you spray, if that helps; covering the hive in plastic so no overspray touches the hive body. whatever. if you look for solutions together - you both win.)

[@blergh89ify]

That was so sad to watch and she sounded so heartbroken too! :(

[@Teresa52804]

Some winter prep tips Treat for mites in fall, but I dont think that was the cause of the dead hive. Seeing all the bees on the ground is a sign of poisoning, including seeing the bees with their tongues out. Most of the bees looked to be near the excluder which shows a problem. Never use a queen excluder during fall and winter. Using an excluder will prevent the bees from clustering and eating properly during cold temps. Bees will die if they are not withing inches of honey in freezing temperatures. If you add insulation, add a quilting box too. Condensation is a huge threat in winter! Take off any empty boxes. She extracted the honey and put the empty frames back too late in the season. Empty space is never good for temperature control or pest management. Where's the fondant ??? Fondant is a great emergency food source and can also absorb some extra moisture. Wintering bees and Beekeeping is different pre region but I hope this helps.

[@ShiningSakura]

I just started beekeeping and I agree, I thought the same thing as you did. It happens though, even if you do your best; sometimes they just die. Makes it hard, but rewarding to keep bees. I hope this experience hasn't scared off this beekeeper from keeping bees in the future though.

[@mason9621]

I don’t think it was poison. Mandu said in the beginning of the video that the bees on the ground were the ones on the inside cover that she flicked off onto the ground. They died inside the hive, not outside.

[@ValeriePallaoro]

Would it be extreme cold? A cold snap in the early morning before first light? They died throughout the hive, no one level more than the other.

[@edwinhsingmaster9135]

Her use of the hive tool in extracting frames may be an indication she needs mentoring, as we all can learn more as we go. It's just that in the fall, to get to spring, your ducks better be in a row!

[@stanholloway8774]

Honey, I don't know where you are but I'm in in south central Florida. I run a little over 400 hives and have seen this before. I'm not an entomologist, I'm a farmer but think that varroa carry many more viruses and diseases than we understand yet to date...you can send a sample of your bees to the bee laboratory at Florida University and they will analize (sp.) them for you and tell you exactly what happened. Down here we're having to deal with AHB, varroa, small hive beetles, colony collapse disorder and everything else. They have a honey bee collage up there at the university and are probobly the best in the nation...good luck to you young lady, thanks for what you're doing on your channel...

[@julieenslow5915]

@Stan Holloway Florida girl here. You mean University of Florida at Gainesville? Or Florida State University at Tallahassee? Not trying to be mean, just want to clarify because I don't know a Florida University. That almost sounds like you just left the word "state" out of FSU, but UF has the agriculture school so I really am unsure.

[@stanholloway8774]

@@julieenslow5915 Hi Julie! Its the University of Florida up in Gainesville hon, my bad! They just opened up the bee college a few months ago...

[@julieenslow5915]

Oh I hoped that is what you would say! I'm a Gator, and I have to go visit that! Such good news! Thank you.

[@julieenslow5915]

P.S. No problem - not your bad at all. If you were raised in the state and had to choose a college or university here, you would definitely be very careful with who is who. Otherwise - no need. They are both part of the State university system here.

[@stanholloway8774]

@@julieenslow5915 Hi Honey, just corrected my comment to this little girl and wanted to thank you for pointing out my mistake...I think I may have spoken with you before on here but am not sure...thanks again...

[@rodkirt9273]

I helped my grandpa with his 200 hives back in 1968 and learned ‘ the ropes ‘ the hard way. Three years ago I ordered 6 packages of honeybees. # 2 just absconded leaving 30 pounds of capped honey. # 1 & 3 became queen less and developed worker queens. # 4 didn’t thrive # 6 thrived but became extremely vicious , bad and angry. I ordered 6 breeding queens. The two hives with worker queens I carried away from the Avery and shook all of the bees onto the ground and replaced the frames back to their original space. When the new queens arrived, one was placed in each of the 6 hives. ( all original queens were removed). Now there are 6 hives with only 1 being a little weak. Most people do not understand that without the pollination of flowers by honeybees, the world would starve to death. It is not easy to keep bees. In 2017 62% of all hives died in Texas for no known reason!? And the rest of the country suffered as well. So to all you people out there, kiss every bee keeper every time you see one 😘 because you haven’t starved yet.

[@julieenslow5915]

@Rod Kirt Obviously, you know that today's beekeeping is very different from your grandpa's beekeeping. Plug in to your local beekeeping groups, check KZbin for current videos which will tell you the many problems and things you can do to get your bees through the maze of current hazards and stressors. Don't give up. As you said - we need every beekeeper!

[@rodkirt9273]

Julie Enslow I don’t know what you are getting at. ? I stated that had some knowledge about honeybees. Today’s equipment is the same used for hundreds of years. My U tube data last month was over a Terabyte; my current research on today’s bee issues is extensive. My hives’ recovery was based on knowledge learned from today’s technology. Most people are not aware of how important honeybees and their value is to society so , my statements were went to enlighten the public. So , I don’t understand the message behind your comment 🤷‍♂️.

[@julieenslow5915]

@Rod Kirt First, apologies, I was not intending to cast aspersions on your ability as a beekeeper or your equipment. But the fact is - beekeeping has changed - because the environment has changed. Radically. And the bees are dying as a result. The bees are changing - slowly - and it is up to the beekeepers to keep them alive long enough for the new problems to be overcome. I had written more in my post I don't know why it all disappeared, I will try to be brief: Varroa Destructor mites were introduced in the 1980s, and they are a bee parasite, weakening the bees. They also carry many bee diseases that were not widespread - because they did not have a way to spread. The mites did that for the diseases, and now they are everywhere. We did not have monoculture damaging the bees for multiple reasons - google it - its a huge issue. We did not have Africanized bees in the USA - we do now. If you never see one of those you are lucky - but not out of the woods. Remember your queens mate an average of 12 times each with males NOT from her hive - they fly far to ensure that. So you could have an Africanized drone introduce that bloodline to your bees. Feral bees have already succumbed to these things - there are few left. And hives require diversity in bloodlines to produce well mated queens who then produce strong hives. Even those hives can be destroyed by Verroa, disease, small hive beetles, pesticides, restricted diets and poor nutrition (monoculture issues). THAT is the difference in beekeeping. It takes resourceful beekeepers who are on top of current information and tools to be able to help your bees to survive and thrive. Your grandfather did not have it easy in beekeeping 50 years ago - but it was a walk in the park compared to current issues and challenges.

[@em2106]

Rod Kirt 5G is apparently very bad for bees and disorientates then.

[@jimmieloflin7785]

I am deadly afraid of bees but this makes me so sad :(

[@bellacorra1627]

Sameee

[@xoGullysMumox]

Aww you shouldn't be afraid of bees there actually really good to have around.....wasp on the other hand 😏😏😏 we don't like wasps they just seem to sting you for the sake of it lol

[@donnasteele6399]

Honeybees are extremely sweet. Did you know they actually recognize your face? They will do figure eights in front of your face and remember you. I learned that from the gentleman that came to extract a hive that was in the walls of my house. It was over 13 feet tall and 4 foot wide. They were some of the friendliest bees.

[@SachaDoesPortuguese]

"don't know how many. but there's not 50 thousand!" that was adorable 😂sad, sad situation about the bees, but at least there's something to learn from.

[@rodkirt9273]

Sacha It seems that you might not have owned bees. Usually a hive that has two brood chambers ‘ bottom boxes ‘ and two honey supers on top should have 45,000 to 60,000 bees in the colony. I had a wild swarm make a hive in one corner of my barn that was left there as long as they minded their manners. After 2 1/2 years the combs hung down 6 feet from the ceiling, 3 feet wide and was 12 rows deep in its layers. A good guess, from experience, one could accurately say that the colony had at least 120,000 bees 🐝! Yeappers, over 120,000 🐝

[@emmymade]

@@rodkirt9273 I believe Sacha was quoting my son in the video and not to the number of bees in a hive.

[@danielduransiqueiros4668]

Such a sad moment, and it's very hard to watch, hope your friend is doing fine.

[@emmymadeextras]

She’s pretty tough, but still very sad.

[@SuperBuickregal]

Never leave the excluder on going in the Fall/Winter.

[@julieenslow5915]

Yes. The bees have to choose between two deaths: 1. the move up for the honey, leaving the queen behind, they don't starve, but the queen dies so the hive dies. or 2. they don't move up, they stay with the queen and they starve. That is the choice the beekeeper gives the bees when there is a queen excluder between the cluster and honey stores.

[@beehinde]

Bee death in 2 parts hive splits, bees move above queen excluder for stores and warmth, then die from isolation starvation, sometimes you will find all the bees above the queen excluder and the queen dead below. The other half with the queen below, may not have been able to generate enough heat to survive. The most likely cause of the dead out is dwindling syndrome, no not CCD, but varroa is a vector for Nosema Ceranae, totally different to Nosema apis. You don't realise what is happening to your hive until it is too late. This is a 2008 article a bit outdated now www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=www.nationalbeeunit.com/downloadNews.cfm%3Fid%3D8&ved=2ahUKEwi2z43z9eDgAhV5AWMBHe7_DwcQFjAAegQIBBAB&usg=AOvVaw0Sw1g8T915coPhXFU9Itgb&cshid=1551442714662 Oxalic dribble 3 weeks apart appears to work. coloss.org/effect-of-oxalic-acid-on-nosema-ceranae-infection/ To look for an infestation of Nosema Ceranae you will need a microscope at 400x magnification.

[@ZachTate]

100% correct.

[@rdsx463724]

So did they all die at once? How long does it take for something like this to happen? Very creepy.

[@FlyingWonderGirl]

rdsx463724 👽

[@RoughAndWretchedRAW]

Looks like humidity and cold. I saw some preliminary research from a scientist that bees with high Varroa mite load have major difficulty thermo-regulating the cluster in the cold. Add humidity to that and it's a recipe for disaster. There would have been excess humidity for sure because as you went through the bottom box you showed a full frame of uncapped nectar. While not likely the cause you CAN NOT have a queen excluder between bees and food in winter. If the cluster was moving to that food the queen can't go. Either they abandon the queen or starve. Depending on winter temps it's better to use a Sugar board on top then an entire other box. They say bees don't heat the box but common sense says it's easier for bees to thermo-regulate the cluster in a smaller area than in a larger one. Just a few observations.

[@Georgiasomar]

I’m so glad there are kind people like you Emmy.....there for your friend through the loss of her hive....so sad but with a friend like you,she will be just fine. I have so much respect for bee keepers and all it takes to keep your bees healthy.

[@doudleduds]

Informative and helpful! What a great friend to have in a time like that. It’s always good to turn any chance you get into a learning experience :)

[@Kdp2theresq]

This gave me such anxiety before I saw the "not my bees", so mean! I have been following the beekeeping videos since the beginning!

[@bustedkeaton]

ME TOO i saw the thumbnail and i was like NO!! Still very sad of course

[@Winchester7983]

Me too >_>

[@erarebirth]

This is so sad :( Can she use those hives again for a new colony? I'd be curious to see how you prep those boxes to use for a new hive if that's possible.

[@emmymadeextras]

Yes, the equipment and frames of honey would be perfect to start a new package of bees.

[@AmeliaStGermain]

@@emmymadeextras Will you be taking them, then? Since she was going to give the hive to you, anyway?

[@hanyoualchemist]

It sounds like condensation and cold killed your colony I'm so sorry to hear that. Not exactly sure how my hives are doing right now been pretty stormy and cold (I'm in CA by the way). A good idea to try next winter is a quilting box to keep them warm and dry. Hope things improve good luck.

[@FlyingWonderGirl]

hanyoualchemist it wasn’t her bees, her bees were fine throughout winter

[@hanyoualchemist]

@@FlyingWonderGirl Her friend gave her the hive because they are moving.

[@Amy-Bo-Bamy]

Emmy it's wonderful that you can help her. She was so upset and you gave her support and knowledge. 🐝❤️👍

[@mishamarx6997]

I want to cry for your friend and her hive....I’ve wanted to keep bees for a while, but this is a stark reminder that there is much much more I need to learn before I delve into beekeeping. I love watching your bee adventures and all the other videos as well. You’re the best. 💜

[@rolan116]

1. Never use a queen excluder during the winter. It makes it difficult for bees to cluster and the queen can't move up with the rest of the hive. 2. Your hive is not properly ventilated. Moisture from the heat the bees make will condense on the top of the inner cover and drip back down on the bees which will freeze and kill them. Use a quilt box to insulate and absorb moisture.

[@baddestbees5924]

Need to get rid of that excluder all that moisture collects on it and then drops back down on the bees and freezes them to death the first cold snap. That thing needs ventilation a candy board would be good or shim, besides that it's a lot easier for the heat to rise and warm up a space for the bees to break cluster, with inner cover it traps a lot of that and the moisture.

[@TheOGNicole]

This broke my heart! I hope Mandu will have a successful hive in the spring.

[@gregwaskom552]

You never leave queen excluders on in winter. Your queen cant pass threw it and will die.

[@HaleiwaGirl808]

This was absolutely heartbreaking to watch!! I’m so sorry for your friend that this happened! I hope she starts again!! Good luck!

[@puppsmcgee74]

That’s so sad. I’m so sorry your friend’s bees died. She obviously took great care of them. I didn’t even know bees could get mites. You are a good friend to help her out. My heart goes out to both of you. ❤️

[@thenotsurechannel7630]

I live in Forsyth County North Carolina, and only had one hive. Throughout the whole winter, I had a bee cozy (insulation wrap, for those that don't know) on it. They managed to overwinter, right up to the point where we had some really nice weather for a week. They were gathering pollen and nectar from red maple trees that were in bloom. I put the bee cozy back on after that week, because I knew the weather was going to get cold again. Not but a little while ago, I checked my hive and they were all dead. I think the nectar that they collected got chilled to the point where they couldn't take the temperature inside. It sucks too, because the hive died just as my family's Peach and plum trees we're blooming, along with the Forsythia bushes.

[@longdarkrideatnight]

Excluder should be on the very top right under the top cover (if at all). The bees can go up, but the queen gets stuck under the excluder and gets too cold.

[@barbwellman6686]

Yes. On Bee Vlog 32 (January), the bees rose and clustered on the top most frames. If the queen excluder had been on, the cluster would have stayed lower (remained colder).

[@JustNatax3]

Well that was a depressing watch... And she sounded so heartbroken too. What a nightmare. 💔

[@mohawksniper79]

Yep when they are in the cluster the queen can't get through the excluder so they end up starving out. No Queen excluder in the winter time

[@lauriebrackett2014]

This was my first year with bees and my hive experienced a deadd out. I had a hard time finding a video that explained it, so thank you for sharing this. A dead out is very sad, but I plan to try again this year and be more watchful for mites.

[@WriterDreamOfSweden]

You've left alot of boxes on for the winter, that creates more room for them to heat up, and that will be hard for them. In Sweden we put all hives down to one box for the winter, so they sit tight and retain the heat throughout the winter.

[@robertlunsford1350]

Most likely cause is breaking cluster to get to the honey in the top super causing the queen and brood to die or poisoning (large piles of bees on the ground outside the hive). There are too may bees for mites to have been the deciding factor. Also, never check bees in sub 60 degree weather. I have seen quite a few "dead outs" that were just cold. Mite count was high but not really devistatingly so. Hard to say as the bees were dead and the mite count could be skewed because the sample was taken from the bottom board where the dead mites would end up anyway.

[@anniedoit3553]

Crazy! It's amazing we have wild bees with how much they face. I'm sad your friend lost her bees. I hope you are able to reuse hive pieces after it's cleaned out. 💛🖤🐝🖤💛

[@julieenslow5915]

Wild bees are rare now, in many places there just are no feral honey bees. The future of honeybees is in the apiary, in the hands of beekeepers and scientists who are trying very hard to keep them alive while breeding the bees to be able to withstand varroa mites and a number of very nasty diseases that they carry. Not to mention pests galore. Meanwhile others are trying to deal with the bee habitat loss due to monoculture farming, pesticides, government ignorance and government ineptitude. A good example. I saw on today's news that a very harsh and powerful insecticide was approved by Trump via Executive Order for immediate use on farms in many states. These pesticides will kill the honeybees in those states.

[@robertlunsford1350]

There are no "wild" honey bees in the US. All the honey bees living outside of kept apiaries are swarms from farms. Honey bees were imported from Europe when the colonists came over and are considered live stock. Feral bees rarely last more than a few years though it may appear they last longer a swarms tend to go to previously occupied hives.

[@julieenslow5915]

@Robert Lunsford Preaching to the choir here. But it is only in the last 40 years that feral honey bees have become so rare, due to Varroa mites and diseases (to name two of the biggest reasons). She called them wild - most people consider the terms "wild" and "feral" to be interchangeable - which they are not (technically). I did not see any reason to correct her terminology. Now of all the things discussed - the only thing you wanted to focus on was adjective choice?

[@robertlunsford1350]

@@julieenslow5915 I run a fairly large apiary and teach classes. Many people assume that honey bees are native to the americas. I was simply claifying that. I don't see the problem with educating people.

[@680ecks]

We checked ours at the same time and all six of ours are all dead. We are new and this was our first winter . We had plenty of honey like you . No water we don't know what happened same exact thing . Treated for mites in fall. Will check ours for mites good tip thank you.

[@DuncanHeather]

It's highly unlikely to be poisoning over winter. If those dead bees appeared over autumn and winter the most likely culprit is Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus. but without viral testing, you never know for sure. One thing for certain, was the might load was way too high. If you don't treat, or you leave any treatment until after the winter bees have been raised, you are just asking for trouble.

[@nanilchik]

I don't know if anyone else commented on this, but Queen Excluders need to come off in the fall. The cluster will not move up above the excluder if the queen cannot, and they can starve to death.

[@Wheeks]

I'm currently taking beekeeping classes. I love bees and it makes me so sad that this happened to your friend. I'm so sorry. :(

[@sablgrl01]

I learned watching Dirtrooster that if u have mites, put a swifter pad on top of each section of the boxs and their feet get stuck and die and repeat as needed till the numbers dwindle

[@josephwoodall832]

I've heard it suggested that you should remove one frame from your deeps to allow for a larger cluster for warmth in the winter I'm new so I don't know.

[@Sassy_Alaskan]

I’m so sorry for your loss. That’s awful.

[@paulsiwy6097]

Wow. Hard to understand you losing a hive in such a warm climate. My bees just came through a winter of temps as low as minus 40. It is only now just getting above freezing. I winter over with just two brood chambers. The queen excluder was a big mistake as it creates a partial barrier. We also wrap our hives here in Canada to help them keep warm. In Canada we have found that controlling the mites prevents most losses.

[@wutainer]

wow my heart goes out to her and the bees

[@lynxvsjackalope1149]

this would be so devastating! I felt very sorry for your friend Mandu, she seemed crushed.

[@DreambigGabriela]

This was so sad. Poor bees. Emmy, you seem so knowledgeable about the bees. This was a very interesting, if sad, vudeo.

[@hazelhazelton1346]

You really can't use the mitewash tool like that. A cup of dead bees from the bottom board is not comparable to a cup of live bees taken from a frame. If you're going to use detritus from the bottom board you have to wash all of it and do a complete count, because the bottom board contains all the accumulated mitefall since the last time it was cleaned. It gives you a total, not an average. In any case, it seems unlikely that such a strong hive would die from varroa over the winter if your friend treated against it in fall. Foulbrood only occurs on brood, so checking frames that don't have any brood in them is futile. The hive looks too clean for nosema. January is terribly early for brood if you're in a climate that gets true winters, so it seems the hive broke cluster much too soon. Breaking cluster too early can kill a hive, but usually through starvation, which clearly isn't the case here. My best guess is that they froze to death. Two and a half boxes is a lot of space, and preventing the queen from accessing the top part- where the heat accumulates- is extremely foolish. Here in Norway, nobody winters on more than one box, and our boxes are smaller than yours. In addition, we add space limiters to most hives in order to minimize the space the bees have to heat up.

[@smithologist5272]

UGGGGGGG I am starting my first hive in April. I am very excited, sorry to hear about these bees, but personally I am glad to get a chance to see what could go wrong.

[@charlesboland9851]

Question what was her mite count in late August. Did she treat and if so did she do a follow up count 2 weeks after to ensure the treatment worked? Not only are the mites literally sucking the life out of your bees that carry viruses that spread through a hive in winter like wildfire. Another thing why was there a sheet of hard insulation between the supper and the inter cover? You have to have the hive properly ventilated otherwise you are going to create a moisture problem which will kill your bees.

[@nottheoneforyou]

I'm sorry to see your friends hive die out. Hopefully she can start over and have a thriving hive again.

[@rajbeekie7124]

Losing a colony is tough. Next time, I am going with removing the queen excluder. The death came from mite infestation. That is my guess. I am also guessing they weren't treated in the fall. After years of doing mite counts then treating and still losing hives, I decided to stop doing mite counts and treat in the spring and fall. By the time you have a count, you already have too many mites.

[@crazyslurpee3367]

Kinda late to this and definitely not a beekeeper, but what does excess moisture do to bees in winter? Could they have frozen to death?

[@m.mickeypayne9811]

I'm not a big fan of bees, because I am allergic to their stings, but I found this interesting, because it's such a massive hive issue. Apparently American bees are dying Luke crazy all over the US. Found an article on Second Nexus, where German scientists did a study using Lithium Chloride fed in sugar water to kill mites in honeybees. The research indicates technique doesn't harm the bees .

[@brandillysmom]

When I was in Highschool, I was into reading about raising bees 🐝. I fully expected to see foulbrood, but didn’t. It’s too bad that the mite problem wasn’t caught until too late. I guess they can get out of hand super fast. I’m sorry to see so many die....

[@acethememelorde4377]

When I got the notification at work today, I couldn't see the whole title, and I thought it meant that YOUR hive died, and I got really sad. While I'm glad that your bees seem to be doing fine, it saddens me to see so many dead bees. Nonetheless, at least we learned something from this situation. I hope your friend is okay!

[@alicedubois1348]

How often did she check her hive? 😥😢 rip bees...

[@Serial-DesignationN14]

I'm so very sorry for her loss of wonderful bees, but at the same time im so very happy it wasnt you. Hopefully she will be able to restart again in spring and be able to over come all this. Is so very sad. Poor 🐝🐝🐝🌼

[@myrmecofourmis]

Sorry for your friend's bees. Probably shouldn't keep an empty super during winter though, and maybe one deep is enough during winter. Also I really encourage beekeepers to gather theirs hives on a palette in cold areas, so they can warm each others during winter, They do really move the clusters closer to the other colonies and spend much less energy.

[@samanthaghost]

Oh no 😥 I bet she was glad to have you there

[@MrBezazel]

God for a second I thought they were emmy's bees. Not to say this isn't awful though. :< Bees are such sensitive creatures, it seems like an entire hive can go at a drop of a hat. I'm sure it's rewarding, but still...terrifying and you have to be so, so knowledgeable. More knowledgeable than any kind or domestic/farm animal I know of.

[@longnamenocansayy]

i agree with some other comments. you can't let a small setback get you down. get another queen. have a positive attitude. after a period of time you will see this as paying your dues. remember, bees are very strong. you're on the winning side.

[@ikaruseijin01]

That's terrible, I am sorry to hear that.

[@TarotLadyLissa]

That’s super sad. Hopefully she can get a new colony going! Is it very difficult to clean up the hive after that? Also, can the dead bees be added to a compost pile?

[@reneebrown5598]

From everything I've read you are only supposed to treat at certain temps. If you are just hitting 51 degrees that's too cold. Check your labels on all poisons you put in your hive

[@nessarolla]

Aw this is really sad. I'm glad you were there to help your friend.

[@joshuamoore8883]

You can't leave the queen excluder in or leave empty frames in there. Leaving empty frames in there will make them starve.

[@faitharooo]

Bees are amazing, so sad to see this hive go

[@stephaniestewart9396]

So sad Emmy 😞. Glad you were there for her.

[@jimreichert327]

the bees will go up thru the excluder, but the queen gets left behind to freeze and die. never leave a excluder on after late fall.

[@mariaraynor]

“Give thanks!” X ❤️ 😀

[@lily_the_tzuadventures5359]

I don't know anything about any of this but my heart is sad! I love honey and honey bees!

[@jmom5735]

So sorry! This happened to me too: I have lost 2 of 3 hives by December. All 3 were packages from a farm store and did great all summer. Treated at installation with Apivar and had good mite drop. By fall, I had the same set up, 2 deeps and a shallow and all packed with food going into winter and still packed when found dead in December. I can’t help but think it was the Formic Acid Mite away strips I treated with in fall ... and wondering your opinion or your viewers’ opinions. Hive #1 which is still thriving now at end of February is the one I thought in Sept I was going to lose because when I removed the strips, there were queen cups & cells everywhere (5-8 on several frames!) so something was wrong. It was too late in season to find a new Queen so I just had to hope if they made a new Queen she would be able to mate with the few drones that were left - and since it survived so far .... I look forward to warm days to locate the Queen and see if new vs original marked Queen. Hive #2, when I pulled the hive apart, full of nectar, all the bees were dead on the bottom and I found signs of a laying worker problem; ironically in my Sept-Oct notes, I wrote that this hive had a lot of drones coming and going vs the other 2 hives. Hive #3, I found a small dead cluster containing the Queen and the rest were dead on the bottom; there were only about 10-15 capped brood cells. So, did the Formic acid kill/effect the Queens? I still will treat but might have to switch to oxalic acid. Thank you!

[@emmymade]

I have used MAQs to treat my hives in the summer with good results and I like them for 2 reasons 1.) the vapors penetrate the cappings 2.) you can leave your honey supers on. You do have to be careful to administer them at the correct temperature, though. Too hot (above 90˚F) could result in die off or the queen absconding and too cold (below 50˚F) the vapors won't carry throughout the hive resulting in an ineffective treatment. Most beekeepers I've read or spoke with agree that oxalic acid either dribble or vapor is a good option for late season treatment. The hives are brood-less, (important for oxalic acid because it does not penetrate into the cappings) and it's very effective against varroa even at cold temperatures (above 35˚F). I think it's also important to choose a treatment based on the conditions (season, temperature, nectar flow or no?) and rotate between options, to reduce treatment resistance in the mites.

[@jmom5735]

emmymadeinjapan thank you! Good points! - about the temperatures especially - I didn’t document the temps but I bet it got too hot. Please keep up the videos - you are great at this stuff: videos and bees! I’ve learn and reinforced many lessons watching them. Thank you!! ❤️🐝s

[@gabrielgabriel3682]

Awww the poor bees🥺🥺

[@deboracroft1292]

The queen excluder should've been taking off it prevents the queen from moving up with the worker bees that keep her warm.

[@bencrain7083]

Yes take your queen excluders off around October. Bees love their queen but in winter they just want to survive they will leave the queen to freeze.

[@Mr3Trois3]

Wow thought it was your bees, I couldn't tell with the miniature!! Would have been a surprise considering how well you take care of yours. I guess this is sad too but she probably didn't treat them enough.

[@Ava_Orchid]

Omg I was so sad that I thought your hive died but this is just as tragic. A whole civilization of amazing creatures wiped out

[@Myst_Eerie_Isle]

Awww that poor hive. I was thinking about trying to have my own, but I'm hesitant because I'm afraid I won't know how to take care of them properly.

[@MLAshbacher]

Heartbroken for Mandu's hive....all those poor dead bees! But, when I first saw my notification I thought this was one of your hives and I had a minor stroke!!

[@snarfskywalker2312]

Watching this it broke my heart.

[@bteesparsen6037]

This video was so hard to watch, I literally cried for the loss of all those honey bees.

[@liyahlitts9751]

How do you catch a mite infestation before it causes something like this?

[@baddestbees5924]

I think they had a warm day or two The Hive had too much moisture it was too cold ...Probably had a cold snap after a couple warm days, the bees were flying,nurse bees covering the brood...they will NOT abandon it ,that's why they froze ,that's why it is dangerous to feed them and get them brooding up, because the nurse bees will break cluster to cover brood, and they will NOT leave that brood and then when the cold snap hits they're not in the cluster to help it stay warm and since they're not in the cluster helping it stay warm the cluster is colder and then nurse bees are really cold because their covering brood instead of in the cluster ,bees can take Cold if they have a big enough population,not moisture. Lose that Queen excluder too, all them dead bees are just creating a ceiling for moisture to collect on and drip back down on them when the temperature changes

[@Parian101]

Hi Emmy it appears from your video the bees died as they were not able to get out. If the summer bees died insides and the entrance was blocked on a warm day the bees might have got over heated. I thought to consider.

[@echo3347]

The reason the queen exclude should be removed is so the queen can move with the cluster. They keep her warm as they migrate around the hive. So sad they all died! Learn what you can and pick up the pieces!

[@normat.8532]

How sad 😢 Bees are so precious.

[@stanholloway8774]

Honey, so sorry..let me clarify my comment. The school is the University of Florida in Gainesville. A few months ago they opened the Bee College. It has a honey bee laboratory, they will have seminars and even offer a course to get your Master Bee Keeper cert on line. It's an incredible resourse for anyone interested in bees. I was working cows when I commented so reckon that just goes to show you, don't text while riding a horse. Thanks to Julie Enslow, a Florida girl for asking me for clarification. But it's Gator country.

[@lechatbotte.]

Oh my that’s hive die off. Mine just left the hive. Not enough brood either.

[@LpMaster1974]

Can you reuse these hives after this?

[@sarahelmiraroystershelton1888]

oh Emmy, relief to hear they are not your bees.

[@barrybautista5135]

Sarah Elmira Royster Shelton ah so its okey for you ..how about the lady. You such a heartless people i ever know!!

[@barrybautista5135]

Sarah Elmira Royster Shelton how i wish my dislike button would appear in your comment. !!!!!

[@johnnybgoodbeesandbarbecue5788]

Your mite count method needs rethinking, grabbing a scoop of dead bees from the bottom does not give you an accurate mite count as you are also picking up any dead mites that have accumulated since your last check/cleaning. Mite counts are better done with live harvested bees. My best guess as to what killed this colony is too much room, improper ventilation/moisture, and leaving the queen excluder in. The swarm can pass through this excluder in search of resources and leave the queen behind and exposed. 1 last thing, sometimes an extended cold snap forces the bees to remain clustered and the cannot move to a new space within the hive, they literally starve with resources right next to them, nothing you can do about that unfortunately.

[@ptrcktylr]

This is very sad 😔. Hope your friend is alright!

[@DreamyDuskywing]

Oh my goodness, how sad! Those poor honey bees. What a horrible thing to happen. Will your friend start over come the spring?

[@phillully4472]

Hive Beatles may have had some impact but if i had to guess further this give starved... not enough pollin and honey to carry them all winter... plus consider where in the country your hive is and aide your hives survival with a give blanket perhaps. Sad you lost the whole hive.. you might consider checking out my friend at Barnyard Bees David.. go to youtube put in Barnyard Bees.. you can learn a lot.

[@RockyD90]

What if a neighbor sprayed insecticide? Do people do that? Edit: nvm saw the end 😢

[@DavyRayVideo]

A neighbor poisoned my first colony. Creep. Proboscis hanging out on some of them, and a pile of dead bees just outside the entrance. It happens.

[@klmeyer9907]

It also happened to a friend of mine. The guy intetionally wiped out every colony( 22) in ther neighborhood.

[@smithologist5272]

People do all sorts of messed up things. But we can also do pretty amazing things as well.

[@cleotaylor1860]

I was thinking the same thing. I know several farmers in the area that spray to kill out the natural flowering weeds yet it kills out the bees in the area at the same time.

[@ValeriePallaoro]

@@smithologist5272 just reverse that ...

[@reneebrown5598]

I'm worried about that happening to me. So I am looking into getting a hygienic queen and requeening my hive.

[@barbwellman6686]

On KZbin, there are "how to home made" oxalic acid vaporizers. I watched one commercial bee company wet drip it into hives also, but vapor is far more effective.

[@tijnnouwen7671]

Bees need at least 28 lbs of food to survive the winter. Never leave the excluder in the hive the queen can not pass through and it works like a cold bridge, causing the bees to collapse.

[@aileensmith7716]

You didn't winter down. There was too much space to keep warm and the colony froze to death. A wintered one box and one full super tops.

[@martyking6942]

One mistake is leaving the queen excluder on during the winter. If the bees have to go above the excluder to get to the honey the queen won't be able to make it she'll die.

[@docash2107]

Sad to see that. 24 days til spring...I hope mine make it.