For a new apiarist — who ’s freshly clothe in woodenware and a buzzing package of bees , dressed in a crisp , white beesuit — the thought of cleaning up after a dead beehive or morbid settlement might be daunting . Or rather , unthinkable . But if you ’re in beekeeping long enough , it ’s an inevitability . Honeybee hives do n’t last indefinitely , and it ’s a rough lesson to take , even if your hive is a few little years honest-to-goodness , or if your bees have swarmed and re - queen a dozen time . Certainly there are lessons to be learned about how and why a colony has fill its close , and some of those clue are in the forcible beehive they go forth behind .
Treat The Dead Beehive Like A Live Colony
Chances are , you ’re cleaning up after a beehive that still has comb as well as some dear or pollen in it . If that ’s the case , you ’ll see some serious robbing by bees and wasp from the surrounding area . It ’s wise to wear the suit or attire you feel well-off in for regular inspections .
Assess The Situation
What are the hint in the dead hive ? Are the bee dead in a cluster ? Have they absconded ? Do you see grounds of disease or pest infestation , such aswax mothor hive beetles ?
Triage The Affected Frames & Comb
It helps to make several raft as you go through the all in beehive : frames to save , frames to salvage and frames to trash . What you throw away will depend a great softwood on the room the bee died . If a particularly nasty disease such as American or European foulbrood has been the cause , you should throw aside any frames or comb that seem remotely effected .
Spend Time Salvaging The Rest
usurp the bee did n’t pass away of a disease , and you are comfortable in reusing the woodenware , you may clean it and burn it out with a blow flashlight ( please use necessary safety precautions ) to make it for the next hive .
As you go through the process , you might see bees fly around , milling about and crawling over the combs within the hive . These bees might be what ’s leave behind of your dependency , or they might be robber bee from nearby dependency .
It ’s always hard to lose bees . It can be one of the most demoralizing aspects of observe bees , especially for freshman just hear the ropes and seeing idle beehive and disease for the first metre . But do n’t lose hope . Yet take this as the chance that it is : fool photographs of the dead hive , take notes and acquaint your finding to your local bee cabaret . Ask your wise man for insight andtips for the time to come . If you discover mistakes you ’ve made , find out from them , and make change to your beekeeping practices . lose bees is an inevitability , but how you handle it is what bring in you a sound beekeeper .
