Survival through spring brood up was hard this year. Most of my bees made it through January, but then died off as the weather warmed.
As of May 1st, 2014:
7 hives are under the Rausch family jurisdiction (28% survival).
(5 Langstroth, 2 Warre)
18 hives have died since September (72% loss)
(9 Langstroth, 5 Warre, 2 Top Bar, 2 Bee gum, 1 exposed hive placed in a box)
Reasons for losses:
1 – Splitting
2 – Starvation
4 – Too small
1 – Yellow Jacket predation
10 – Uncertain (i.e. not an obvious management error)