Never let NiMh's discharge completely, it kills the life. NiMh's allowed to remain dead for as little as one week can ruin the battery. NiMh's have no memory like the NiCad's. NiCad's can & should be stored nearly dead and should be run to near dead before a recharge, but not totally dead. Keep NiMh's cool, heat kills em quick. NiCads don't love heat, but can withstand it better than NiMh's. Always allow all batteries to cool completely before recharging.
Storing NiMh's require an occasional recharge every so often as they slowly discharge.
Your NiMh's crapped out because they sat without a charge.