Persephone’s Voice recorded December 3rd 2014
Life and Death of Persephone’s Hive
Persephone’s Hive arrived July 5th 2014. She came from a woman who, as we learned later, is treating her Hives the whole year through against Varroa.
Persephone looked like being a healthy Hive.
They were quiet and gentle but also stingy, maybe because of dealing with a wasps nest first and short after a time of drought. We supported Her with Food. Already in those first months we noticed some Varroa.
People had told us not to worry about Varroa because this, mostly, is not found in a Hive during the first year. But we did.
Being Natural/Sacred Beekeepers we decided to not treat our Hives, to not send weakened/sick Drones into the world to Meet and Mate a Queen and so weakening the Race of Honey Bees as a whole.
It has been proved that non treated Colonies “Produce” stronger, healthier, faster Drones than treated Colonies and that those non treated Drones are favorite as it comes to Fly with the Queen.
Back to Persephone, summer 2014.
There was constantly Brood in all Stages and in September they started encircling Brood with Honey.
On December 3rd Persephone’s Voice has been recorded, She was still alive as you can hear here: www.beehome.wakan.nl/cluster03-12-2014.mp3
On December 29th there were dead Bees blocking the entrance and there was a dizzy Bee on the outside of the Hive. Wings were transparant.
Autopsy:
The Hive is loaded with Food, open Honey, 
capped Honey and Pollen, stored in the Honey Super and in the two Brood Chambers, too.
There are some dead Bees. There is a Frame w
ith a Bit of Brood and there is a Frame with Bees emerging. We also find a little bit of Mold/Fungus but this might be caused by the Hive having been closed for the past months.
No signs of Moth. No Varroa was found.
We can’t but come to the conclusion that we are dealing with Colony Collapse 
Disease here. Bees are dispersed and left some Brood and Emerging Bees and a Hive loaded with Food behind.
BEE HOME 
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Hello –
I am writing an extension article about hive autopsies, and I’d like to use your photo of a close up in my talks/ article, giving you credit, of course. You did a very nice job of taking the photos at the right angles to show information clearly. I did want you to know that the article will show that your colony demonstrates a classic example of death by varroa related disease. I can send you a copy when it is done if you like.
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Hello Meghan, It’s okay to use the closeup photo. If it can contribute helping saving the Bees, the better. You can give us credit, us being Jan and Tinah Visser (on social media Yany and Tinah Bee). We would like a copy of your article when its ready. Thank you.
Success!!
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