Winter bee deaths--how much is normal?

[kedgel]

I recently moved my hives from cinder blocks next to the woods into the sun and put them on an old exterior door supported by blocks.  Since them I have noticed every morning several dead bees laying around on the door.  The white door makes them readily noticeable.  At first I thought they were drowining casualties, as the panels in the door collected dew.  I drilled drainage holes to remedy the pooling but still see no reduction in their numbers.  I'm not sure if the bees I'm seeing now were always there before, just un-noticeable in the grass around the hives, or if I have a problem.  I usually see about a half-dozen or so around each hive in the morning.  I know there is a natural attrition which increases in the winter up North, but I live is So. FL.  This is my first winter keeping bees here where we don't get much winter.  We even have a winter honey flow when the oranges bloom.  Any FL beeks want to weigh in on this?

[annette]

I have 4 hives. They all appear to be doing very well right now, but I have noticed many, many dead bees on the ground. Some hives have more, some have less. I know for a fact this is normal for where I live, but I don't know much about Florida.

Lets hear from more beeks from your area.

[rast]

 What you are seeing sounds fine. Doesn't matter where you live, bees die every day. If you could see what dies away from the hive it would surprise you. "Several" to me means 5-15 or so. Normal. A big pile is not. Of course a lot of bees walking around on the ground before dieing means look for deformed wing virus, mites. Remember, we raise brood year round down here.