Why

[deemann1]

I had one colony just disappear on me last winter 3 frames of dead brood plenty of stores and not one bee left in hive dead or alive

 

[Erichalfbee]

I had one colony just disappear on me last winter 3 frames of dead brood plenty of stores and not one bee left in hive dead or alive

Was there evidence of varroosis?

 

[deemann1]

Was there evidence of varroosis?

Not that I could see

 

[beeno]

To check for varroosis you hold the frame up so that sunlight hits the bottom of the cells. If you see white deposits inside the brood cells, this is varroa poop. If there is a lot of excrement then varroa is most probably the culprit.

 

[Erichalfbee]

To check for varroosis you hold the frame up so that sunlight hits the bottom of the cells. If you see white deposits inside the brood cells, this is varroa poop. If there is a lot of excrement then varroa is most probably the culprit.

Absolute diagnostic. I was going to ask if @deemann1 did that.

 

[Michael Palmer]

Another diagnostic approach. You say there are three frames with dead brood. Dig out some of the mature pupae that died while trying to emerge. Do they have fully formed wings? A plump fully formed abdomen? If Varroosis killed the colony, many of the emerging will have shriveled wings and flat stunted abdomens

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes I think it’s crucial to do a post mortem of any dead out.

 

[Amari]

To check for varroosis you hold the frame up so that sunlight hits the bottom of the cells. If you see white deposits inside the brood cells, this is varroa poop. If there is a lot of excrement then varroa is most probably the culprit.

Never knew that! Thanks ++

 

[Erichalfbee]

Never knew that! Thanks ++

A lot of people consider little white specks at the tops of cells are crystallised honey. If you consider where they are it’s not likely.
If in doubt you can always taste it.

 

[Michael Palmer]

Yes I think it’s crucial to do a post mortem of any dead out.

Absolutely. No deadout ever gets loaded on the truck until an autopsy has been performed. Never

 

[Amari]

A lot of people consider little white specks at the tops of cells are crystallised honey. If you consider where they are it’s not likely.
If in doubt you can always taste it.

Well, I often do. SWMBO often serves sardines, pilchards, shrimps etc....

 

[beeno]

Never knew that! Thanks ++

XX are kisses.

 

[Amari]

XX are kisses.

I might have got my face slapped...

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

 

[North End Bees]

Never knew that! Thanks ++

XX are kisses.

I just assumed Amari meant thanks a lot!

 

[Amari]

I just assumed Amari meant thanks a lot!

I'm not saying....

 

[Patrick1]

A pal been to his apiary. One decent sized colony, topped up with fondant, and a super of stores has decamped..not one bee remained!.. In November!...they had room, so any thoughts why? I know of starvation swarm but these had no excuse!

Probably too large a space to keep warm, why leave a super ?

 

[North End Bees]

Probably too large a space to keep warm, why leave a super ?

The OP said it was a good sized colony. I use single brood nationals and always leave a super on over winter.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

I've seen a queenless mini-nuc decamp to a queenright one; so maybe the bees moved - in the same way as a made-up nuc can lose pretty well all it's bees back to the parent colony even if young bees have been shaken in that you would expect to stay put. A Q- colony gets wind of a better place to be - after a little robbing perhaps?? Just a thought.

 

[Nige.Coll]

I've had them abscond and join the hive next door during winter when a queen failed.
I was taking pictures of the cluster through the omf for giggles and the colony next to the empty hive had a much larger cluster than before they absconded.