Lost Hive!

I went to the Gardens today (Friday 20) to put some insulated inner covers on the bees only to find that one of the two hives there has died out. 

The hive in question was light in stores going into the winter and it seems pretty clear there was no honey left in the hive. I doubt it was robbed out as its been so cold; no other bees would have been flying it was so cold. There was some pollen in the hive just an absence of honey.

So I now have to decide what to do with the hive. Some of the frames were new in 2010 so maybe it's time they were now rotated out. But do I retain the other newer frames and the pollen they contain? If I do might I be spreading something harmful to another hive; something that might have caused the hive to die?  I need to go some research and ask a few questions. 

With luck the worst thing that will happen is that I use the hive as a home for a split I make from the adjacent (currently heavy and healthy) hive. It's just a shame this has happened; I should have fed them more sugar I suppose!