Since the bees froze to death due to the #PolarVortex, we decided we better clean out the hive before critters and mold got to it.

There was quite a bit of honey to harvest, but that’s another post! We had a visitor while we were removing dead bees and pulling honey frames out to take up to the house.

Afterwards, we put bee lure out on the doorstep of the hive, but not sure that was even necessary due to the very fragrant honey and bits of honeycomb laying around in the dead grass. Maybe he will tell his friends, especially if they’re looking to move? We left one frame in the hive with about a quarter of it still under capped honey.

Post mortem investigation revealed there was good brood, tons of capped honey, but way too much square footage to heat with too few bees. Just too many sub-zero degree days in a row for them to survive. Hence, in future winters, we will be wrapping our hive starting in late December and investing in an insulated lid.