Totally Gutted. Bees All Gone.

[allotment-bee]

I opened our only hive for a quick inspection on Bank Holiday Monday. Didn`t see the queen,but lots of bees about, pollen going in.
Looked again yesterday,no bees flying, just a few in the hive. No brood.

This would have been my third year of beekeeping.

 

[Amari]

That's strange and very sad - ?qualifies for colony collapse disorder. Counsel of perfection I know but I always feel that two colonies quadruples the pleasure of beekeeping - if one goes wrong you haven't lost your hobby for several months.

 

[Hivemaker.]

qualifies for colony collapse disorder.

It does not qualify for CCD.

 

[Erichalfbee]

With CCD the bees leave behind brood and stores.
Your queen has died over winter and the winter bees have dwindled away.

 

[pargyle]

I opened our only hive for a quick inspection on Bank Holiday Monday. Didn`t see the queen,but lots of bees about, pollen going in.
Looked again yesterday,no bees flying, just a few in the hive. No brood.

This would have been my third year of beekeeping.

Were there eggs/brood in there on Easter Monday ? A bit more information would be helpful about what you saw in the hive on each occasion ...

Are you sure there weren't any queen cells in there yesterday ? Worth another look - although there's not much you can do at this stage if you find one/some - just let them get on with it,

Other possibility is the foragers have found a field that has been sprayed - doesn't explain the lack of brood though.

I went down the M4 from Newbury to Wales yesterday and lots of OSR just coming into bloom .. saw a farmer out in one field with what looked like a spraying bar on the back of the tractor - I don't know what/if they are treating with for pollen beetle this year - or, indeed, if it was being sprayed with an insecticide.

 

[Heather]

Agree, prob queen loss and dwindled.

I have been visiting a colony where there were 1000+ daily on the concrete below the hive.. happened for last 6 days, easing off.. am sure poisoning of some sort... Beebase suggested to keeper 'old bee clearance' but far too many for that. Bloody insecticides!
Fortunately hive vibrant and brood+ so should recover..

Wonder what was in front of this allotment hive??

 

[allotment-bee]

The bees were in an orchard, with a lovely field of Lavender over the wall.
We do have OSR nearby.

 

[Erichalfbee]

With CCD the bees leave behind brood and stores.
Your queen has died over winter and the winter bees have dwindled away.

Sorry, a bit terse.
Don't beat yourself up about it, nothing you could have done. Deep breath and order a couple of nucs.
I had a queen-less colony abscond when I first started keeping bees and I was beside myself.

 

[Swarm]

Found a couple of those today, it happens. Doesn't stop you feeling bad but it's just the way it goes.