Trot,
WOW! General Patton's grandson keeps bees, who knew. "No beekeeper ever saved a hive by dying for his country..." :-D
I appreciate the passionate response but understand you do not know the history of this colony. She knows nothing about survival. Which now has become irrelevant since: 1, the colony may finally die from lack of numbers, or 2, If the colony lives long enough I'll requeen her with a queen from my strong colony. Either way her troubled genetics will end as they should.
Now, If this were happening to my strong colony I'd be in fighting in the trenches with you to save her. But alas, strong colonies seldom need anything they can't get themselves.
ziffabeek,
lol
wd,
nature has been trying to take it's course with this colony for a while now. I tired of fighting it. And yet I've brought this colony into the garage where I can feed it syrup, pollen, honey, heat, & 16 hours of light each day. Even now I can't turn my back on her.
Finski,
Ahh, noticed that did you. I'm not sure if it is since the entrance may have been blocked during a warm day. I keep it cleared but so many died in the last week it may have sealed up.
I'm watching them now in the garage. They have a SBB so if I see more signs of Nosema I'll medicate.
Eshu,
Yeah I'm still trying to save them. If I left them alone they'd be dead before April without a doubt.
Thanks you to all who responded. I learned a trick or two. In a day or so I'll post a pict of what this hive looks like now in the garage.