My Beehive Collapsed Over Winter. Am I to Blame?

Opening a hive to find a dead colony is heartbreaking, but it’s also your most important lesson of the year. In this video, I perform a "hive autopsy" on a colony that didn't make it through the winter. We aren't just looking at dead bees; we are reading the "crime scene" on the frames and the bottom board to find the real killer. Was it the cold? Starvation? Or varroa mites? Don't let a dead-out go to waste. Here is how to read the signs so you can save your other hives. If youd like to learn more about nosema and what to do with deadout equipment, i recommend reading this article: https://scientificbeekeeping.com/the-nosema-problem-part-5-monitoring-and-disinfection/#_Toc17032995 🐝 6 WEEKS TO SPRING SALE: Ready to stop guessing and start keeping bees with confidence? My Backyard Beekeeping Course is currently on sale! Get the exact roadmap you need to get your bees ready for spring. 👉 https://www.beekeepingmadesimple.com/beekeeping-course-sale In this video, we cover: 0:00 - Intro 0:18 - How to tell if a hive is dead without opening 1:05 - Opening the dead hive (What to look for first) 1:15 - How many hives do commercial beekeepers and backyard beekeepers lose every year 2:26 - Signs of Ventilation, Condensation or Moisture Issues 2:50. -Examining the Cluster 3:30 - Signs of Starvation 3:38 - Varroa Mites 3:55 - Finding the Queen Bee 5:00 - What to do with frames from a deadout 5:14 - Reading the Bottom Board: What the debris tells you 5:36 - The Verdict: Why this hive actually died & other causes for a hive to collapse 12:59 - Could this deadout been prevented? ✍ FREE DOWNLOADS & EDUCATION: ► FREE BOOK: 7 Steps to Getting Started Keeping Bees: https://www.beekeepingmadesimple.com/freebeebook ► INSPECTION SHEET: https://tinyurl.com/yr3n5ryu ► ID GUIDE: https://tinyurl.com/psw5dwuz ► BEEKEEPING THROUGH THE SEASONS CHART: https://www.beekeepingmadesimple.com/blog/beekeeping-seasonal-guide ► Winter Beehive Diagram: https://www.beekeepingmadesimple.com/blog/overwinter KEEP IN TOUCH: ► NEWSLETTER: https://www.beekeepingmadesimple.com/newsletter #beekeeping #beekeepingmadesimple #backyardbeekeeping #winterbeekeeping #beehive #honeybees