Hi Deborah,
   You haven't mentioned anything about your varroa management plan.  In my
experience, varroa is the #1 culprit in hive deaths, especially for new
beekeepers. Did you do varroa counts toward the end of the summer?  If they
were at or above threshold levels (7 in an alcohol wash of 300 bees), did
you do any kind of treatment?  How old was your hive? Maybe second year or
started from a nuc this year?  It would be worth it to compare notes with
your other beekeepers on this one.   When varroa levels are very high the
bees may abscond, though usually in summer, or the crash can come so fast
that it appears that they have absconded.  If there are any capped brood
cells left, carfully uncap them and look inside.  If there's  a pupa or
larva, gently pull it out and look for varroa.  It helps to do it over a
piece of white paper.  This isn't an absolute test, but another bit of
evidence to consider.
Cheers,
Kristina Williams
Boulder, CO

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