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Beekeeping in Northern Climates <br />COLONY DEATH <br />$FFRUGLQJWRWKHDQQXDOEHHNHHSHUORVVVXUYH\ <br />FRQGXFWHGE\WKHQRQSUR¿WWKH%HH,QIRUPHG <br />3DUWQHUVKLS UHVHDUFKEHHLQIRUPHGRUJORVVPDS  <br />KREE\EHHNHHSHUVLQ0LQQHVRWDKDYHRQDYHUDJHD <br />ZLQWHUPRUWDOLW\HDFK\HDU/RVVHVFDQRFFXU <br />RYHUWKHVXPPHUEXWDUHPRUHOLNHO\WRKDSSHQGXULQJ <br />winter. In the summer, a colony may be able to raise <br />HQRXJKQHZEHHVWRUHSODFHVLFNDQGG\LQJEHHV <br />Little brood is reared over winter, so the population <br />dwindles when individual bees die. Winter is a true <br />WHVWRIZKHWKHUEHHVDUHKHDOWK\RUQRW<RXFDQ <br />LQFUHDVHWKHOLNHOLKRRGWKDW\RXUEHHVZLOOVXUYLYHE\ <br />IROORZLQJWKH¿YHSULQFLSOHVRXWOLQHGDWWKHVWDUWRIWKLV <br />chapter. <br />,WLVGLVFRXUDJLQJZKHQDFRORQ\GLHV<RXDUHQRW <br />alone. Although sad, use the loss as an opportunity to <br />OHDUQ7U\WRGLDJQRVHZK\WKHFRORQ\GLHGE\WKLQNLQJ <br />WKURXJKZKDWWKHFRORQ\ORRNHGOLNHWKURXJKRXWWKH <br />year, before it died, and when you found it dead. Was <br />WKHUHDQ\IRRGOHIWLQWKHFRORQ\"6SULQJWLPHZHDWKHU <br />LVXQSUHGLFWDEOH\RXFDQQRWFRQWUROLIGXULQJDFROG <br />snap, the bees will be able to reach honey frames <br />located away from the cluster and they may starve <br />ZLWKIRRGSUHVHQW'LGWKHEURRGORRNVLFNGXULQJ <br />VXPPHURUIDOO":HUHWKHUHLVVXHVZLWKWKHTXHHQDW <br />DQ\WLPH"'LG\RXVDPSOHDQGPDQDJHIRUPLWHV" <br />Did you sample your colony after mite management <br />WRGHWHUPLQHLI\RXUPLWHPDQDJHPHQWZDVHIIHFWLYH" <br />Beekeeping in Northern Climates <br />The “Ick” Test <br />Biology <br />Box <br />If you are trying to decide whether to reuse or replace old combs, we recommend <br />\RXXVHWKH³LFN´WHVW,I\RXDUHORRNLQJDWDFRPEDQGWKLQN³LFN´WRVVLW0ROG\ <br />IUDPHVDUHRND\WRUHXVHVLQFHWKHEHHVDUHJRRGDWFOHDQLQJXSPROG$Q\ <br />comb with signs of brood disease should be tossed. Reducing the exposure to <br />pathogens in the colony is worth the extra cost of replacing the frames. Frames <br />with chilled, dead brood can be reused because it is not infectious. If in doubt, <br />WDNHDSKRWRRUVKRZLWWRDQH[SHULHQFHGEHHNHHSHUIRUDGYLFH,I\RXWKLQN\RX <br />have diseased comb on your hands, double bag the frames and put them in a <br />dumpster. Replace them with brand new frames and foundation. <br />:DVWKHFOXVWHUVL]HFRYHULQJIUDPHVLQ2FWREHU <br />1RYHPEHU":KHQ\RXGLVFRYHUHGWKHFRORQ\GHDWK <br />ZHUHWKHEHHVGHFRPSRVLQJRUGLGLWORRNOLNHDUHFHQW <br />GHDWK":HUHWKHGHDGEHHVFOXVWHUHGSLOHGRQWKH <br />ERWWRPERDUGRUPLVVLQJDOWRJHWKHU" <br />:ULWHGRZQQRWHVDQGWDNHSLFWXUHV7KHORQJHU\RX <br />NHHSEHHVWKHPRUH\RXFDQOHDUQIURPWKHP&RPLQJ <br />EDFNWR\RXUROGQRWHVFDQKHOS\RXOHDUQDWDODWHU <br />GDWHHYHQLIDWWKHWLPHRI\RXUQRWHWDNLQJ\RXZHUH <br />P\VWL¿HG <br />,IWKHFRORQ\LVGHDGWDNHWKHHTXLSPHQWWR\RXUVKRS <br />or garage to clean it out, or close all holes to prevent <br />UREELQJE\RWKHUFRORQLHVDQGWRNHHSPLFHRXWXQWLO <br />weather permits you to clean the equipment outside. <br />The boxes, frame and combs with remaining honey <br />DUH¿QHWRJLYHWRDGLIIHUHQWFRORQ\ GRQRWH[WUDFWRU <br />HDWKRQH\IURPDGHDGRXW &XOORXWROGFRPEVDQG <br />UHSODFHWKHPZLWKQHZRQHV7KHRQO\KDUGDQGIDVW <br />UXOHLVQHYHUUHXVHHTXLSPHQWIURPDFRORQ\WKDWGLHG <br />IURP$PHULFDQIRXOEURRGGLVHDVH VHHWKHHoney Bee <br />'LVHDVHVDQG3HVWV manual, =XPQHGX%HH0DQXDO  <br />AFB is relatively rare but highly contagious to other <br />bee colonies. In general, tossing out any comb that <br />KDVVLJQVRIEURRGGLVHDVHLVEHVWIRUWKHORQJWHUP <br />health of your new bees. If you aren’t certain whether <br />WRNHHSRUWRVVXVHGFRPEHUURQWKHVLGHRIWRVVLQJLW