Bee story with an unhappy ending...

I hadn't seen any bees coming out of my little hive lately, so I opened it up to find a sad sight. They had eaten all their stores of honey and then starved and froze to death.

There was no brood (eggs, larvae, or young), and very few bees in general. This  particular hive has always struggled with a weak queen, and I had planned to replace her this spring, but they didn't make it to spring.

I could blame the queen, but I could have helped them with some sugar water and bee paste there at the end of winter. It appears they never had full stores of honey, and they ate every drop they had. I had K7 scrap out the bee's wax and clean the box and frames.

Then I had K6 paint the outside of the wooden boxes.

I decided to have him paint the big, active hive as well. He said he didn't need to suit up with protective gear, but I assured him that his cockiness would result in a very painful experience. I insisted he suit-up properly.

I told him to paint the sides and back first, and do the front entrance last, since that would be when the bees would get really riled. I wish I had stayed around with the camera because I heard him scream like a girl and saw him running for his life after he started on the front. I wonder if he left the can of paint on the top of hive?