Just curious about the ethics and legalities of abandoned hives. I know of two yards that haven't seen a beekeeper for two years. Hives are falling over, covers have come off. Both yards have around 40 hives, and from 3 boxes to 5 boxes high. A lot of them are dead but some are still strong. I haven't been close enough to see any identification. With binoculars I can't see anything. They are about 100 yards off of the county road.