maybe i came across too literally. when i say we did exactly the same, I dont literally mean we put exactly the same amount of syrup on or the same amount of fondant.
I mean both our hives were fed as much as they were able to take down, both were treated for varroa with Apiguard and OA etc etc.
I mean our approaches and methods were the same, but I do get what you mean when you say that this was not necessarily the right way to go about it.
OK, but did they get up to the same (adequate) weight?
There can be many reasons for the bees stopping taking syrup - one is simply that it is too cold for them to store it.
If they stop and the hive is still on the light side, that is the time for the beek to be starting making his emergency plans.
Different fondant feeding details can mean the difference between the bees surviving and them being unable to access or process potentially dried-out fondant.
Did you check the varroa drops, or just treat 'blind'?
Since some of these 14x12s came from that year's swarms, another question in my mind is as to how well (how completely) the combs were drawn. That in turn influences how much storage capacity they had. And its way too late and cold for them to go back to comb drawing in September when there's lots of lovely syrup on offer, but nowhere left to stash the stuff!
Disease testing. Your local association should have at least one microscopy enthusiast who could look for Acarine and Nosema for you. A fresh sample of about 30 bees is needed, and a charge would be unlikely - though I daresay a pint of something would probably be well received.
I don't recall seeing a description of the dead-outs, which might have some clues for some of the folk on here.
Sanitising the hives as per Beebase recommendations would be sensible.
The main question would be over what to do with frames/comb and any stores remaining. And that would depend on likely cause of death. Burning them would be the safest course of action, but that may well not be needed.
