The most important thing about a dead hive is to learn from your mistakes.
 If a mouse killed your hive, use a mouse guard next year.   If starvation
killed your hive, give next one more winter feed and/or watch it more
carefully during the late winter.  At any rate, don't let good equipment
gather dust.  Order a new package of bees and fire up the hive again.
 
W. G. Miller
Gaithersburg, MD