Central Oregon Beekeeping Association - Top Bar Mayhem? Or setting up shop?

Reply to: Top Bar Mayhem? Or setting up shop?

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<blockquote>Anonymous wrote:

Earlier this spring my top bar colony began its outdoor activities as the days warmed. I was torn as to whether I should feed them, or rely on the stores in the hive.

Ultimately, I found that in my hive the queen had died, with maybe 500-1000 (?) bees tightly around her. Other than that - the hive was empty, save for large stores of honey. I thought it was my lack of early feeding that had likely contributed to the death of the colony, but upon finding many pounds of honey still stored in the hive, I would have thought they would have been fine.&nbsp;

Ideas as to the death of the queen and colony?

And on another related note: after I moved some of the bars around and removed a small portion of the honey stores, MANY bees now visit and are in and out the hive box - many I am sure, are honey robbers, but is there any reason why a swarm or some such would not want to (re) occupy the hive? Or is it more likely the bees are just taking the honey that is in there?
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