I should have been prepared, but I wasn't (psychologically), for all the bee death I'd see during the winter.

I have to remind myself that finding bee bodies at the entrance to the hive is actually a good sign. It means that the undertaker bees are doing their job and dragging the dead bodies to the entrance so they can be tossed away. The metal grate is my improvised mouse guard. Mice like to take up residence in a hive during the winter. They are attracted to the honey and the warmth. No mouse shall enter my hive!