Absconded!

[Susan Carter]

My top bar hive has absconded and am wondering what to do next (cleaning hive box, ordering/ installing new package, etc). Anyone else have this problem? I’m just south of Los Ranchos area.

[Kenneth Tabish]

Have they died over the winter or are you saying they left/swarmed/flew away from your hive?  Did they leave any honey?  Do bars have comb on them?  Yes you can just clean up the bars and box and prepare for new group of bees.  Dont use and liquid cleaner other than water  . . . scrape off old comb that you do not want to save and the propolis.  Yes you an buy bees but you can capture a swarm to place in your box too.  Ken

[Susan Carter]

I think they may have absconded in November while I was traveling- I harvested honey late summer, but didn’t check them after I returned in November. Just thought they were in the hive keeping warm. They left two full and several partial bars of honey, a scattered pattern of brood, a queen with a handful of attendants (all dead/ frozen in place on the first bar). A few dead bees left on the bottom, but otherwise all gone. No obvious signs of disease or Varroa? Gonna try again

[Kenneth Tabish]

Appears to me that they did not survive the winter . . . it is highly unlikely that bees would leave/swarm from their hive in November.

[Kate Hollander]

I am at the far south end of Los Ranchos and my largest hive from last year also absconded (as opposed to died).  I treated with APivar for Varoa in the fall, but there was plenty of evidence of mites.  ALSO, I had hive beetles in the hive when I opened it.  I saved the beetles to take to the Extension service... not done that yet... but this is likely the first report of hive beetles in the Al buquerque area.  

[Susan Carter]

Thanks for your reply Kate. I had a more experienced beekeeper take a look and she didn't see evidence of mites , beetles, or disease, but we didn't actually test. I had not treated this colony. Sorry about your bees.