sc-bee
08-07-2005, 02:37 AM
When I returned from vacation I had a dead hive from SHB I had been trying to treat. The hive next to it appeared to be queenless and no brood. My other two colinies, one is a very weak one and the other appeared to be strong in brood and bees but also fighting SHB (I located both queeens ). I was going to try and take some brood from the strong hive and put it in the queenless hive and see if they would raise a queen. This was like a couple of days later- due to work restraints and the hives being in two different locations.
When I went to get the brood from the strong colony and I approached it, I could see the bees were dumping their brood. They were pulling out the brood and dumping it and the ants were hauling it off. It was not mummies (chalkbrood) and the pupae and larvae appeared creamy and white. Could the heat and humidity have caused the kill- the hives are vented. An inspection of the hive and no brood at all and appears to be queenless.
An inspection of my weak hive also showed no brood at all and it also appeared to be queenless.
I think in my fevor and panic to treat my hives for SHB I may have killed the queens. It is the only thing I can think of.
I had someone else suggest varroa. I purchased the bees as a package this year and were not going to treat them till fall. What do you think?
I have ordered new queens and they arrived the next day. I wasn't expecting them that quick but my kudo's to the supplier.
Reading in the forum I have been thinking about treating with powdered sugar. Can I requeen and use the sugar at the same time? Should I requeen and then use the sugar(which sounds like the best option to me) when I return to remove the queen cages?
What device do most of you use to apply the sugar-I read sift the sugar on the frames? Is this with a flour sifter.
I would have posted this in disease and pest but posted it here due to the traffic.Thanks in advannce for any HELP!!!!! It has definitely been the school of hard knocks!!!
When I went to get the brood from the strong colony and I approached it, I could see the bees were dumping their brood. They were pulling out the brood and dumping it and the ants were hauling it off. It was not mummies (chalkbrood) and the pupae and larvae appeared creamy and white. Could the heat and humidity have caused the kill- the hives are vented. An inspection of the hive and no brood at all and appears to be queenless.
An inspection of my weak hive also showed no brood at all and it also appeared to be queenless.
I think in my fevor and panic to treat my hives for SHB I may have killed the queens. It is the only thing I can think of.
I had someone else suggest varroa. I purchased the bees as a package this year and were not going to treat them till fall. What do you think?
I have ordered new queens and they arrived the next day. I wasn't expecting them that quick but my kudo's to the supplier.
Reading in the forum I have been thinking about treating with powdered sugar. Can I requeen and use the sugar at the same time? Should I requeen and then use the sugar(which sounds like the best option to me) when I return to remove the queen cages?
What device do most of you use to apply the sugar-I read sift the sugar on the frames? Is this with a flour sifter.
I would have posted this in disease and pest but posted it here due to the traffic.Thanks in advannce for any HELP!!!!! It has definitely been the school of hard knocks!!!