One of the things I most appreciate about reading the Bee-List is that
one can take advantage of the experience and knowledge of many.
After too much spam offering viagra and second mortgages, it's nice to
have a list to refer to about beekeeping interests/problems.

Details concerning the dead hive:

The swarm was a large swarm (prime?) that came from a very strong,
over-wintered hive ( I know because I saw it and watched the whole
process... always an inspiring sight as Richard Taylor would said). The
day it came out the temperature was 75F and the sky clear. The swarm
settled about 18 feet up on a skinny pine tree close by my bee yard.
That night, a cold front came through, dropping the temperature twenty
degrees and more with rain and wind. At my age I decided that it was
better to delay trying to retrieve the swarm since emergency rooms and
broken limbs are fairly expensive in my area. The first good day, I
managed to retrieve it (three days after ... no foraging if any during
the time due to adverse weather). The newly hived swarm in question was
put on old combs, with some pollen and capped honey(minimal: that is,
maybe a half of a deep frame of honey) on them. I had not planned on
feeding them, thinking that the available blossoms would suffice. The
weather was in mid-70's, some clouds, on a Tuesday afternoon. The hive
was found dead on a Sunday afternoon. Weather conditions had remained
stable. There was exactly one bee left alive (barely). Black locust,
wild mustard, et alia were blooming. Approximately a mile north of the
site is a commercial cattle operation with extensive alfalfa fields.
The site is owned by a family member very favorable to having bees.
There were no bees stuck in the combs as if struggling to find food.
Some were on the bottom board; most were piled immediately outside the
hive entrance.

I had not considered starvation as a possibility. Perhaps I should
have. "If" the alfalfa had been sprayed for weevils, would one expect
that some of the bees would have survived? I do not pretend to know
much about the raising of alfalfa hay. Our pastures are mostly clovers
and fescue.

Again, many thanks to those who commented. I read almost all the posts
and generally learn something each day.

Sincerely,

Gerald
Springfield, Missouri

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
-- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and  other info ---
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::