My best guess on what happened with the bees based on the condition of the combs, I probably had an old and weak queen, or maybe even no queen at all, and the colony couldn't survive. I've probably been feeding "robber bees" from other hives for a while. Some of the individual bees, I hope, got recruited into those stronger colonies, though, so there's some comfort in that. And I can take some time and prepare the hive and my backyard for a new colony in the Spring (possibly not this coming Spring, but some Spring).
There is, I am sure, a metaphor in that. Probably more than one.
no subject
My best guess on what happened with the bees based on the condition of the combs, I probably had an old and weak queen, or maybe even no queen at all, and the colony couldn't survive. I've probably been feeding "robber bees" from other hives for a while. Some of the individual bees, I hope, got recruited into those stronger colonies, though, so there's some comfort in that. And I can take some time and prepare the hive and my backyard for a new colony in the Spring (possibly not this coming Spring, but some Spring).
There is, I am sure, a metaphor in that. Probably more than one.