My Bees are Dead!

A cold November and a double swarm meant my bees didn't even make it to the New Year. I am sad, embarrassed, and disappointed.

[@steffyincan]

I would be so sad. Honestly they're not even my bees and I could cry. I'm so sorry! Hopefully someone who knows about this stuff can help you.

[@lureofthenorth]

Aww thank you! Yes I had a little cry. It was embarrassing and I felt really terrible that I failed them. I will try harder next time. Thank you for your comment!

[@greensnapper1602]

That Sucks Not good, Hope you fix the Problem Fast ! Good Luck !!

[@lureofthenorth]

Thanks! Unfortunately I will have to try again next year. Both hives died :( I have learned a lot though and will hopefully not make the same mistakes twice!

[@lureofthenorth]

Thank you very much! :(

[@greensnapper1602]

@@lureofthenorth Thank you, Knowing that you get this asked a lot, will ask again lol Would you still Hand making Moccasins ? If so would love to order a couple pairs. But The biggest pair being a 16 inch. Would that be ok on the Size ? That's if you still make. Thank You so Much ..

[@lureofthenorth]

@@greensnapper1602 Hi there! Yes we still make moccasins! You can buy them here: lureofthenorth.com/shop/product-category/clothing/footwear/ However I'm not sure what you mean by 16 inches. Do you mean that your foot is 16 inches long? Our boot liners only go up to size 15 unfortunately.

[@capaddler]

So sorry to hear.

[@lureofthenorth]

Thanks :( I'll try harder and better next time.

[@silva-anderida7695]

It would be interesting to know what the local flora is.Interesting video.Thanks.

[@lureofthenorth]

We have lots of golden rodd, raspberries, strawberries, blue berries, cherry trees, touch-me-knots!

[@1982mikem]

Poor one out for the homies

[@micheloff-grid4248]

Hello thank you for sharing...I AM FAR From A pro ....but last years i keep my two hive up stair in my room yes I got stung many time only went i walk on them ..was a bit warmer then out side but very dry....I don't feed them whit sugar ...and I don't disturb them also ...in Mars the sun get stronger they start to move and beginning of April Of they go and come back whit polem ..in fall and spring I give them honey on a piece of wood ...end of Mars on sunny day they are on the windows all open .. I think the humidity it is the problem....ps I live in the kispiox the point more north of the 16 HW

[@richardmerkt7205]

Sorry for your troubles. A few questions. Where were the queens in your hives raised? We often see queens raised in the southern states in the US have a hard time making a successful transition to winter. Is the dead queen of the Italian strain? Italian queens tend to have larger populations even going into winter so they consume their stores much sooner. One suggestion. The candy board you made for the bees that are alive should be placed directly on top of the frames, not above the inner cover. If you don't have space make a small shim to create space (a square the size of the inner cover about 3/4 inch high) then on a warmish day, lift the inner cover, put in the shim, put the sugar on the frames, then put the inner cover back on. Good luck.

[@lureofthenorth]

Thanks for your comments! Honestly don't know where my bees came from. The man I bought them from said they are raised in Southern Ontario. I asked him what species they were and he said a mix. I have now hear a few times about taking away the inner cover which I definitely will do next time. I will also insulate the top of the hive which I did not do. :(

[@survivalapache7331]

So sorry wish I could help

[@rajbeekie7124]

Sorry about the loss. Ah, the sorrow of beekeeping. Your bees could have died due to a variety of reasons. The queen could have died, the colony was too small, didn't have enough pollen, the bees could have been stressed going into the fall, there could have been a mite problem, the bees could have clustered away from the honey, etc. I wish you well in 2019.

[@lureofthenorth]

Thank you so much for commenting- There is still so much to learn. It just is terrible that the consequences are so high.

[@hobbyhomesteader984]

I know the sadness of bees dying...I lost all 4 of mine...they froze to death ( the pattern was identical to yours ). My fault that I didn't get the insulation on them soon enough. Though your problem can be fixed...Instead of having the Inner Cover and the Candy Boards on top...Remove the Inner Cover and replace with news print or thin paper towel...then put the Candy Boards on that. The bees will chew threw the paper to get to the candy. It's also bin suggested to just put the Candy Boards directly on the top of the frames. Another thing you should do is add a moisture wicking system. Using burlap and saw dust ( sorry don't have the plans on hand ). And last...you insulate the sides...you should also insulate the Top. You stated that the Honey Stores were in the bottom box....for the winter they should've bin int the Top box. When it gets cold the bees move up. ***Take they honey frames from dead hive and give it to the living hive ASAP...swap empty frames for capped frames*** From 6 years of Bee Keeping in the Pacific N.W (Spokane, WA.)

[@lureofthenorth]

Thank you so much for your info! Yes afterwards I was told to ditch the inner cover. Which is funny because all of the bee keepers in my area use one so I"m not sure if they have found it necessary. But I will try it next year for sure. Unfortunately both of my hives died. We had so much snow and I wasn't able to fix the issues. I will try again next year. It was a great learning for me but am sad that I failed them.

[@hobbyhomesteader984]

@@lureofthenorth Sorry to hear the second died. To keep critters out of what you have left of Honey...pull those frames and store them in a very cool location. When you get your colonies replaced...put those frames back into the new colonies as food. This will strengthen the colony and you won't have to put syrup on them as much. Good Luck

[@lureofthenorth]

@@hobbyhomesteader984 Thanks so much! Will do!

[@Tomhohenadel]

Where are you located? Northern US or Canada

[@lureofthenorth]

North shore of Lake Huron in Ontario

[@Tomhohenadel]

Really? We are in Sault Ste Marie. Worked out of Blind River years ago. Certainly is beautiful country. Happy New Year

[@lureofthenorth]

@@Tomhohenadel Thanks so much! It certainly is beautiful. Very blessed to live in Canada

[@allancampbell8274]

Very sad I know someone that been working with bees in Quebec for the 45 years I'll show her your video and I'll ask her wath she think . if it can help you good

[@lureofthenorth]

Thank you!

[@heritageoakstreefarm]

No expert here. With heat rising, bees will naturally go where it is warm, to conserve heat and energy. You said the core group was in the top super. If all their stores were gone around the nucleus, in the upper super and you found a good amount of their stores in the lower super, they may have starved. It looks like you had it insulated well, but they won’t travel far from the nucleus to get food in the cold weather. On another note swarming is their natural reproductive life cycle and we “try” to control it 🙄. They will replace the queen naturally when it’s time. Typically the older queen leaves with the swarm and the new queen stays with the hive. There could be multiple new queens, at which the strongest will survive to keep your hive moving forward. Two good books for more insight are “The Thinking Beekeeper” and “The Lives Of Bees.” Not sure if this is helpful. Keep learning 😊

[@lureofthenorth]

Thanks for the help! Yes I was aware that swarming was natural but was told that it was unlikely in the first year since its a new queen and nuc so that was the surprise. Thanks so much for the books. I will be trying again next year so I will get reading! All the best,

[@mycompasstv]

Your poor bees might need a winter cozy. Check out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJnFZZerrdh1nqs