As with many things in beekeeping, seeing dead bees at your hive’s entrance can be normal, but it can also be a big concern, especially in the winter months. Seeing a few dead bees is normal, but noting very many extra dead bees piled out front should cause a beekeeper to do some additional investigating, no matter the season.
When bees die inside their beehive, either due to their short life being naturally over or because of a disease affecting adult bees or developing brood, worker bees will remove the carcasses from the hive. This is typically done through the lower hive entrance and bees will usually drag bodies a short distance away from the entrance to keep diseases from spreading.
A sudden increase of dead bees out front of the entrance or building up directly on the bottom board is something to be concerned about. Even if the entire colony hasn’t perished, bees clustering in the winter can all be put at risk if many die at once. Poor hive conditions, pesticide exposure, and bees affected by diseases* could all be a cause for excessive dead bees that may build up at the hive entrance. (*Colony Members, see the “Read More” section below for an in-depth look at some diseases that can cause hive entrance changes, like the chalky bee bodies pictured below).
When temperatures are too cold for bees to safely leave the hive to take cleansing flights, it’s probably too cold for them to clean out deceased bees’ bodies, too. If they can’t clear them out, you may note the number of bees accumulating on top of the bottom board or in the bees’ entrance space increasing. When doing careful outside-the-hive checks in the winter, keep an eye on your hive’s entrance and the area around your hive to get an idea of whether your colony may need some intervention. If dead bees are building up, it’s important to ask yourself why and then help bees to clear entrances out, when possible. (See the “Related Products” section below for a great product to help with this!)
Read More
Checking Your Beehive Has Signs of Life
Learning From the Sadness of the Deadout Inspection
Learning From Deadout Inspections *
An Introduction to Nosema and Chalkbrood *
* Colony Member–Only Content
