Re: Cluster Breakdown

There is such a thing as cold starvation when a cluster will not move to 
adjacent food storage for whatever reason.
"Jark" <timcole@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
news:DcKdnZ1PbIm1drvVnZ2dnUVZ_uednZ2d@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> The man who keeps bees at my small farm found that two seemingly strong 
> hives had suddenly died in early spring.  They were both full of honey 
> with dead bees between the frames of the top super, so it wasn't 
> starvation; and the hives were adequately insulated and sealed with only

> small openings for the bees to get out and relieve themselves on warmer,

> sunny days.  I had examined the hives in late January and found them 
> strong and apparently healthy.
> His explanation:  during the warm spell in January (we almost always
have 
> one here in NW Indiana) the bees broke cluster to leave the hive to 
> relieve themselves and then reentered the hives and fed.  After this
warm 
> spell the temperature and weather changed drastically with zero and 
> single-digit temperatures for nearly two weeks.  He contends that the
bees 
> did not return to their usual winter cluster around the queen -- "broke 
> cluster!" -- and all froze to death.
> I have never heard of this; what do some of you know about "breaking 
> cluster"?
>
>