Cleaning 2 ‘lost’ hives

[Julian4983]

I’ve lost 2 hives in the last month that were next to each other in my small apiary …. I’ve no clues on what happened although many dead bees in the bottom of the brood box.

Both hives have 2 or 3 supers above that are now well and truly stripped of the small amount of honey they contained leaving behind drawn super comb. My question is, can I somehow clean, disinfect, use Vapor etc, to then risk re-use this super comb in other hives?

Thanks and any thoughts very welcome

 

[Blunt Spike]

Have the hives been robbed out after they got too weak to defend themselves / died out or did they starve? I've been feeding my bees 1 to 1 syrup for a while as they'd used all of their stores and the weather is preventing anything coming in and that's just keeping them going.

 

[Swarm]

I’ve lost 2 hives in the last month that were next to each other in my small apiary …. I’ve no clues on what happened although many dead bees in the bottom of the brood box.

Both hives have 2 or 3 supers above that are now well and truly stripped of the small amount of honey they contained leaving behind drawn super comb. My question is, can I somehow clean, disinfect, use Vapor etc, to then risk re-use this super comb in other hives?

Thanks and any thoughts very welcome

Some more information would help. How many colonies are in your apiary? What was the status regarding stores? Was there honey in the supers at some point?
It sounds very much like they have starved.

 

[user 819]

Was the outside of the hive also piled/littered with bees as well ?

 

[user 819]

Cleaning is as normal, flame wood boxes or use a strong dissenfectant for poly boxes , for poly 20 mins contact time.
If wood seal them up and apply acetic acid for the frames.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I’ve lost 2 hives in the last month that were next to each other in my small apiary …. I’ve no clues on what happened although many dead bees in the bottom of the brood box.

Both hives have 2 or 3 supers above that are now well and truly stripped of the small amount of honey they contained leaving behind drawn super comb. My question is, can I somehow clean, disinfect, use Vapor etc, to then risk re-use this super comb in other hives?

Thanks and any thoughts very welcome

Piles of dead bees outside the hive might indicate CBPV but it’s unusual to have adjacent hives affected at the same time.
If there are torn cappings all over the floor inside and in the frames the bees have been robbed out.
If the supers are intact but empty the likelihood is that your bees starved.
When did you last look in? And what was the status quo?

 

[Julian4983]

Some more information would help. How many colonies are in your apiary? What was the status regarding stores? Was there honey in the supers at some point?
It sounds very much like they have starved.

It’s always possible that they starved as I took honey off at the end of Spring

 

[Julian4983]

Piles of dead bees outside the hive might indicate CBPV but it’s unusual to have adjacent hives affected at the same time.
If there are torn cappings all over the floor inside and in the frames the bees have been robbed out.
If the supers are intact but empty the likelihood is that your bees starved.
When did you last look in? And what was the status quo?

yes one of the hives did have a pile of bees dead outside so possibly CBPV …. Can I store the supers over winter and introduce them next year. If not is there a way to sanitise them and then use them? Thanks

 

[Julian4983]

Some more information would help. How many colonies are in your apiary? What was the status regarding stores? Was there honey in the supers at some point?
It sounds very much like they have starved.

Total of 4 hives in this apiary, the other apiary which is a 50 metres away is unaffected. I did remove honey after Spring and so its possible that they started although I don’t think so as the supers did have some honey left in them.
Owner hive had dead bees outside and so a reply down suggest that it could be a disease

 

[Erichalfbee]

Wh

It’s always possible that they starved as I took honey off at the end of Spring

When did you last look in?

 

[drex]

Whatever the cause, bees remove the dead from the hive. Usually taking them a distance, but when weakened enough will just drop them out the door As Dani is suggesting we really need more info to be sure it was starvation. Yes, boxes can be "disinfected" by flame or bleach and acetic acid will kill some nasties on frames.

 

[user 819]

One expects CBPV then is the culprit , for CBPV to be certain one ideally needs to notice the virus in action by the bees reactions within the hive.

Dead piles of bees outside and inside as well is fairly conclusive as it can be a sudden die off , if not caught earlier enough and actioned on.

 

[user 819]

With my CBPV hive that to all intents and purposes to have pulled through I carried out an A/S mid May , I noticed CBPV effects early June and straight away not only saw dead bees outside but on opening the colony new straight away something was a foot visually by the bees actions in the BB's.
Even if not inspecting one still needs to keep a visual eye on them regularly
as CBPV strikes out of the blue.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Dead piles of bees outside and inside as well is fairly conclusive

But that can happen exactly the same with starvation - especially in a strong colony

 

[user 819]

Julian hasn't mentioned whether bees were found head first in cells to back up starvation, could be one or both scenarios.

 

[WoodenBeam]

I’ve no clues on what happened although many dead bees in the bottom of the brood box.

Both hives have 2 or 3 supers above that are now well and truly stripped of the small amount of honey they contained leaving behind drawn super comb.

Bees on bottom of brood box - I’d be surprised if you didn’t find a few wasps also. Money would be on weak colonies stripped out by wasps.
Store your combs in the boxes with acetic acid for re-use next year or put in a freezer to kill off any wax moth & then store sealed up in a dry environment.

 

[Amari]

Piles of dead bees outside the hive might indicate CBPV but it’s unusual to have adjacent hives affected at the same time.

Yes, I agree but in May 2022 I had three adjacent hives with CBPV. I removed the floors as advised by the forum, one colony recovered strongly, two were weakened and succumbed to wasps despite being on UFEs. I confess that I'm lazy re cleaning and sterilising equipment but fortunately no CBPV this season. It's strangely sporadic - like most viral diseases I suppose - this episode was my third in 22 years in this apiary.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes strange. I had it in one colony last year. Put them in an open floor. Queen was a prolific layer so made up for the loss of bees and I forgot to replace her. They have been fine this year.
Another colony with a queen from the same source and same age succumbed this year and I destroyed them. They were not next to each other. I had already nuc’d the queen for swarm management so I united her nuc with another and squashed her.

 

[Julian4983]

Was the outside of the hive also piled/littered with bees as well ?

yes the outside of the hive on the ground was covered …. I’m now 99% sure this is CBPV