Dead Hive

My bees had a hard year last year, mainly because I was a negligent beekeeper and didn't treat them for varroa mites like I needed to. Sadly, over the winter, the implications of my neglect came full circle and the hive that was my strongest died out.

I'd checked on them a few weeks ago and although their population was really low, I felt optimistic about giving them a frame of eggs from a stronger hive and letting them requeen themselves. The only problem with that idea was the fact that my other two hives have slow-to-start queens and I didn't have a frame to offer the weak hive until this weekend...... and I was too late.

There were 2 bees in North Hive this morning when I went out there to shuffle things around, and I could see signs that the local pests were figuring out the hive was unguarded (cockroaches, SHB's, and a single two-inch-long wax moth larvae tunnel). I decided to tear it all down. The frames with wax (and honey, and pollen, sad day) went into the freezer, the lids and bottom board went into the garden shed, and the boxes are now sitting in my office waiting for a revamp.

I guess it was only a matter of time before I dealt with loss; the state average loss of colonies per year right now is 34.9% (source), so I'm right there with them. It's a bummer to see North Hive's empty spot right now, but I'm back on the bee club lists for swarms and removals, and I have hope it won't be empty for long.