# dead hive



## mariaricarto (Jul 1, 2010)

Found my one hive dead yesterday. I'm suspecting varroa mites as they have recently invaded our area.
Questions: How do I process the wax? How do I get it off the frames easily? How clean do the boxes and frames have to be to put a new hive in it? 
I will have to study about varroa mite to see what needs to be done to prevent it from killing another hive. Any suggestions about varroa prevention?


----------



## no1cowboy (May 2, 2004)

As for putting bees in your hive I would just put them in as is, there is no need to take the wax thats there off the frames, mites need bees to survive no bees no mites.
A strong hive should be able to deal with mites.


----------



## mariaricarto (Jul 1, 2010)

I thought they were a strong hive. So you don't do anything to your hives against the varroa mite? 
The wax has lots of moth larvae in it.


----------



## JRHILLS (Oct 27, 2010)

Chances are the wax moths arrived AFTER the hive collapsed. I wouldn't try to salvage wax containing wax moth larvae. If your frames are wood, you can salvage those and replace with new plastic or wax foundation. If they're plastic, you'll need to scrape, pressure wash or steam clean and start over.


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

There are a lot of treatments for mites on the market. Check the bee supply catologs such as Mann Lake, W.T. Kelley, Brushy Mountian and others to read up on how, when and why to use the product. Pick the product you wish to use and follow the instructions to the letter. 
Also be aware some products do not have section 18 approval in all states.

I like formic acid although in Mite away II it is man made ants make it in its natural form. there is a new Formic acid product I have read a little on which is in strip form requireing no extra equipment to apply it.

Studys have showen that many colonys can only last about 4 years with out mite treatments of some sort. Of course there are exceptions to that rule. those exceptions should be consdered breeding stock to raise other colonies with the same traits.

I had a student with 6 colonies of bees I started her off with screen bottom boards, small cell foundation, the use of drone comb removed every 20 days and froze ( a remove one add a second one.) and applying powdered sugar once a month till the honey supers are added. 
In 6 years we have not found one mite on her sticky boards 

Adding you location helps a lot in answering questions. What I do in Michigan may not work the same as what works in the deep south. some mite treatments are temp sencetive.

 Al


----------



## no1cowboy (May 2, 2004)

mariaricarto said:


> I thought they were a strong hive. *So you don't do anything to your hives against the varroa mite?*
> The wax has lots of moth larvae in it.


no I dont treat my hives for varroa mites, or anything else.
any frames I had with wax moth in, I would freeze and then reuse as is.
I most add I dont a mite or moth problem, and i had ny hives for a lot longer then 4 years!


----------



## Michael Bush (Oct 26, 2008)

Varroa mites invaded the world 10 or more years ago... unless you live in Australia or (until recently) Hawaii you've had them for some time.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beespests.htm#varroa
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesnaturalcell.htm


----------



## mariaricarto (Jul 1, 2010)

I live in Hawaii, so dealing with the mite is all new to us here. 
Today I tried scraping the wax off the foundation. It seems like it will it will be a tedious job.


----------



## JRHILLS (Oct 27, 2010)

Does anyone have experience with a steam cleaner for this job?


----------



## Michael Bush (Oct 26, 2008)

I would learn to count mites, a powdered sugar roll is easy enough. Take a pint canning jar and measure a cup of water into it. Mark a line where the water comes to. Cut some #8 hardware cloth to fit the lid. Put the band on it with the hardware cloth for a lid. Now take the lid off and open an hive. Scoop enough bees to fill to the line on the jar (one cup of bees). Add a tablespoon or so of powdered sugar. Put your gloved hand over the screen and shake pretty hard for 30 seconds or so. Dump the powdered sugar on the inner cover or in some water and you can count the mites. If you have four or five, its ok. More is a heavy infestation. Dozens is a really bad infestation. Also look on the bottom board of dead hives for mites. A hive killed by Varroa will have thousands of dead Varroa along with the thousands of dead bees.

I would not make assumptions about what killed a hive. I would look for evidence.

As far as the webs, steam won't take them out. They are stuck really well. They will need to be scraped. Once you scraped them it won't matter what else you do, you're done with the important part.


----------



## mariaricarto (Jul 1, 2010)

The bottom board had some brown powdery stuff on it. No bees. I'm not sure how long the hive has been dead, it might have been 2 weeks or so.
What treatment do you use if you find dozens of mites in the powdered sugar?


----------



## Michael Bush (Oct 26, 2008)

I don't treat. I have no Varroa issues on natural sized comb, but you have a lot of possible choices. Powdered sugar. Drone trapping, Oxalic acid. Formic acid. Thymol.


----------

