checked hives today in Michigan,

[harvey]

Been sub zero all last week, suposed to be again next week.  today it was up to 20 so I decided to just pop the lids.  I have seven hives all from ferral swarms.  Three of the hives the bees seemed quit active but already to the top of the second deep.  four of the hives I didn't see the cluster in the top box.  I did see a lot of dead bees though in those boxes and all seven hives have a alot of bee poop on top of the frames.    Will they clean that up themselves come spring or do these hive have disentary and going to die? 

[D Coates]

Bee poop on the frames can be a bad sign.  The more the worse the sign.  Yes they'll clean it up but that's how any disease is transferred.  That doesn't mean they will all die.  I had a 3 hives have that last year and 2 of them died but I don't know if that what killed them.  One of them had a high mite load that I think caught up to them, the other was a nuc that never seemed to get going.  I'll let other who have more experience with this chime in.

[Scadsobees]

Active on the top of the second deep isn't a great sign either.  If you saw frames of honey you should be fine.  If they were all the way packed up to the cover, that isn't great either. Otherwise it doesn't hurt to slap a pile of sugar on some newpaper over the cluster.

The good news is that it is almost February  :-D.

Rick

[harvey]

I am thinking about looking into the bottom boxes of the four hives I didn't see any activity in the top box.  If they are ok will leave them alone.  If they are dead I could make full boxes of honey and drop one on top of each of the three hives that still have good activity?  How does that sound instead of sugar?