All beekeepers lose hives. I know guys that are master beekeepers and know guys who never inspect, never feed and let the bees do their thing. They all lose around a third of their hives a year.
I treat each hive a little differently. Some hive do great on their own, others need a little help. Each have had their personality.
Some hives a suit-up to open, others I can open up, inspect and even harvest while wearing shorts and a tee shirt.
Yeah, I knew going in that it was a possibility. But life got complicated and getting a new hive keeps dropping to the bottom of the priority list.
Maybe I should say, I lost one hive and “misplaced” the other. They didn’t like the home I made for them and moved out. They were different enough from the wild bees in my area that I can still spot their descendants buzzing around. I just haven’t tracked them to their new home yet :)