Help please - All my bees have gone

[Luminos]

This is incredibly hard for me.
Here goes.
Yesterday I had a quick look under the roof to check the fondant, having listened at the hive and could not hear anything, so alarm bells were starting to ring.
The fondant was solid, and stuck fast to the crownboard. I realised that this was because the fondant was stone cold. I snapped a piece off - no expected irate buzz...
Peered into crownboard holes. Nothing. No bees, no buzz.

Starting to panic. Removed crownboard. Just a handful, literally, of dead bees on one frame. That was it.
No bees on the OMF, or in the entrance - dead or alive.
No queen.
A few eggs, a few larvae, a few dead bees half in/half out of the cells.

Masses of stores - super below, pretty much full; stores in brood box.

100mm insulation board above.

But I have no bees any more. Can anyone tell me what has happened?
If it were summer I would have assumed they'd swarmed, but surely this is not possible in December?
The temperatures have been unusually warm, and also the atmospheric pressure, which was 1004 on xmas day. I have no idea if this affects bees.

I have some questions about what to do with the frames of brood and stores now, and do I disinfect the hive (WBC)? How? Blow torch?

Obviously I will have to start again, though I don't much feel like it right now. Looks like I have 2 choices - to buy a nuc, or to wait for a swarm - but I don't really want to wait for a swarm. Any advice - there appears only to be "black bees" available from the supplier, what are "black bees?"
I need to get on and order a nuc soon or they will sell out.

Appreciate any help/advice - this post id very muddly - still very shocked at what has happened.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Oh that's awful.
Can't really offer a diagnosis........just wanted to commiserate.

 

[snoop]

No idea what happened , sounds like they starved (half in half out ) even though there was plenty of food. I would close up the hive & send a sample of those bees & brood frames for testing . Its the only way you will know for sure.

 

[Poly Hive]

Aye it is a real blow. You have my commiserations, truly you do.

My first comment is you are learning the hard way why the constant advice is to have two units.

The whys are several. Duff queen for whatever reason/s. Varroa count? Obviously not stores so not starvation. Lack of bees in general so just not strong enough to get through. Might disease have been an issue? Unlikely but can you be sure?

However it has happened so lets move on.

You can blow torch or use washing soda to sterilise your brood box and so on.

YOU might want to use Acetic acid to sterilise your brood combs, and then keep them aside for your next bees.

As for your black bees I imagine they mean local bees. However not being au fait with French practise I cannot be sure on that one.

Lick your wounds, then have a bloody good dram and set sail. Bon chance.

PH

 

[Andy Duff]

Is there an equivalent of the bee inspectors in France, that could have a look at your hive or a local bee keeper that night be able to see if he/she can spot any sign of disease?

I agree with PH, keep 2 hives or more as it seems to work better than a lone hive.

Good luck

Angus

 

[VEG]

It is gutting loosing your first colony, but best to try to learn from it and move on. As said they had stores so they didnt starve. As PH said could be a duff queen, but send a sample off to be tested to be sure.

 

[keith pierce]

>Lack of bees in general so just not strong enough to get through.

I agree with polyhive and would think that there was just not enought bees in the hive to keep the cluster warm and they just dwindled away

 

[bobster]

I'm very sorry that your bees have gone. It must be very hard when we try our best and they just dissapear.

The only detail that you left out that may help would be when did you last have any evidence that the colony was ok? and what was that evidence?

Other than that going forward perhaps get a local beek to have a look for evidence of disease. Perhaps you can send any dead bees to a lab as well.

Good Luck,

Bobster

 

[Hivemaker.]

Nosema ceranae could be a likely suspect.

 

[antoniahk]

I'm really sorry to hear this, and can completely sympathize - same happened to me last month. It was a horrible thing to open the hive and see nothing (pretty much what you describe, actually). We're cleaning up and going to start again in spring. Good luck!

 

[MJBee]

Commiserations Luminos. Always hard to take but try and find out why.

You have a PM

 

[Nic Rhodes]

I would check any remaining / dead bees for Nosema whilst you can. Sorry for your loss, most of us have been there and know how you feel.

 

[johnfly]

a couple of years ago I had a hive that appeared to be swarming in winter, temp below 30, bees just boiling out, I put a piece of mesh to stop this and the bees that were left settled down and went through winter ok but the bees that had left never returned, that one was in my garden close to the house, if it were else where I would not of seen this happen, last year I had a hive that was miles from home, same as you, when I checked to see if they required more fondant, there were no bees just a empty hive, I took all full frames out left the empty frames in there, checked other hives all ok, in April when I checked the hives again they were ok and the empty hive was full with bees again, its one of those things that unless you see it happen no one can give an answer, I have no idea why it should happen, but it does. sometimes the bees or others go to the empty hive, best of luck keep going

 

[Chris B]

As always, a picture paints a thousand words. Any chance of posting a few photos, especially of the brood area? It might at least help narrow down to fewer potential causes.
Cold probably finished them off, but underlying cause likely to be nosema and/or varroa and/or failing queen IMHO. Did you mention deformed wings a while back?

 

[susbees]

Really sad. But don't give up...

What treatments have you given for varroa this season? When was the last time you inspected them and what did you see in terms of brood/bees? As others have said varroa/nosema ceranae/ Q issues seem most likely.

There are Amm-type bees being bred and sold in France...which could be described as black.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Sorry to hear about your loss - but chin up and look forward to the future

 

[isc26]

Are you by any chance in an area where the Asian Hornet has been observed?

 

[luckydunny]

Very hard to be positive but understanding what/why will help you "Go again" next year. Good luck for 2012....

 

[Salamagundy]

Toutes me condoléances, Luminos. As a newbee I can't offer any advice but wish you better luck next time round.

 

[Chris58]

Luminos, if you can, would suggest getting in touch with the SLAA, as a member they might be able to offer insight. You should have received the magazine and there will be some phone numbers in there. There is a meeting in a couple of weeks, perhaps wrapping a frame in polythene and freezing it, then taking it to meeting might be an idea.
Sorry to hear the news though. Must admit the weather's been all over the place this last week. The wild hive next door were all over the place on Tuesday, but only a few of ours were flying.