Visited the hives on Saturday, and one (of three) was eerily quiet. Checked inside...
What seems to have happened is this:
- This hive had the shook swarm, with relatively few bees
- There are *tons* of wasps this summer
- On last inspection, I noticed (and killed) many wasps
- On last inspection, I closed up the hive entrance to help the bees defend the colony
- The wasps won the battle...
OR
- This hive had the shook swarm, with relatively few bees
- The flying bees returned to the old hive
- Leaving an enfeebled colony, which died out
On the previous inspection there were plenty of bees and a laying queen. I will take the hive to bits and inspect more closely.
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