The Worst Word -Abscond

There is no Buzz In The Dale today, only a quiet hive. After yesterday I thought things were going right and the bees were happy. As my old 5th grade teacher used to say, Thought Made A Fool Out Of You. I did not get out to check the hive until noon today and this was what I found.


No buzz, no bees, aside from a few hangers on. There were no new dead bees on the ground. There were no bees anywhere. Just in case the stragglers were unhappy I put on the veil and went to work
The top hive box was empty expect for one frame with empty wax, just the way it had been on Monday.


This is the first frame with some capped brood but not larvae showing.

Second frame had one dead larva hanging out. This was the frame that the bees had re-attached and it was full of bees on the first day of the die off.
The next frame had the reminder of what I believe is wax moth activity.



Frame #3 had one bee looking for work or food. It was active but very slow moving.


Frame #5 had this dark spot which I recall as being full of capped honey the other day.
There are more pictures but I am waiting for them to up load from my camera and the batter just died. They will be on the next post.

From what I have read the bees abscond when they are under stress. I am guessing that the stress of two days of die-off and a series of ant invasions made them want a new home. There was water available even though I never saw them use it. I have to assume they had another source the preferred. They had what seemed to be plenty of honey so no food shortage. Maybe I added the third super too soon

I will post the other pictures in the next blog entry, they may help someone more knowledgeable come up with a better guess about why they left.

For now it will be quiet in the Dale but the Buzz will be back.