# First TBH: A post mortem



## windhound (Mar 18, 2008)

As I posted last year, first try with bees, homebuilt top bar hive. 
Was going great, but did not make the winter. 

Installed a package of Italians last late April/early May, and they REALLY went to town! 

I was having to add 2-3 bars per week at peak flow. 
Perfect, straight comb. 
Heavy with honey come end of summer. 
I did not take any, or fool with them at all. 
Closed the hinged bottom as it turned cold, and plugged one of the 3, 1 inch holes. 

First few warms days this year, I saw NO activity. Hit 75F last Monday, and still nothing. 
Not good. 

Pulled the lid, and all dead. 
Appears to be NO honey left (All empty- center where the dead bees were clustered, there were dead bee butts sticking out of some sections of comb) 

A few pics , and some questions: 

First, I used a scrap of black rubber roofing membrane on the peaked top. 
Hive was under a big oak, so shaded during spring and summer, and rec'd sunlight in the late fall and winter. Black should grab and hold more heat in winter. Could it have trapped too much moisture? 

Still, since NO honey, I'm assuming starvation was the main issue. 
I was also told Italians require LOTS of honey to overwinter, more so than other strains. 
This was the coldest winter in 25 years, but still fairly moderate here. 

Here some pics: 

First, the hive. 











Second, beautiful, straight comb. 














Third, DEAD BEES!!!! 










Dead bee butts sticking out of comb.Other than a few patches in the center, all comb was EMPTY! 










HELP!!!! 
Thanks, DAve 

(ordered more the other day. Posted this on another site, and first thing someone asked was if I ordered my package from Drapers-said their bees are not hardy and eat LOTS- I know others have ordered their packages from them with no issues) 

I WILL set up to feed this time around


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## tom j (Apr 3, 2009)

with butts in the air they starved .. I gave Carniolan a try this year ,, gave the rear of the hive a lift ,, must be over 30 40 pounds of honey still in there started with 130 + - ..


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Don't know where you are as far as north, west, south, east but yes they starved to death. Here in the north that amount of comb would not keep bees all winter either.

 Al


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## goto10 (Oct 5, 2009)

windhound, I had the same exact outcome 2 years in a row. This year I am going with russians in langstroth hives and maybe one russian package in a tbh hive to see whether it's the hive or the bees that were my problem.


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## michael1 (Aug 23, 2005)

My first hive starved over winter too. Last year I bought another package and this year I fed them syrup a few times. They've made it fine and are busy pollinating my trees now. A dead hive really stinks too. Took a bit to clean it out well.


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## BjornBee (Jan 17, 2011)

No food...is no food. Starvation for sure. 

I lost my first TBH that way.


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