Sick bees...

[Doug R]

I've been noticing lots of yellowjackets around my hives. So far they haven't entered the hive, as the guard bees are keeping tham at bay. The heightened yellowjacket activity got my attention. I figured they were a sign that something is not right. I watched and noticed lots of dead brood being carried out. Additionally, lots of (barely) live brood is being taken out. I inspected the hive and don't recognize the disease. Workers are opening capped brood and pulling out dead brood. The brood has eyes that are developing (turning dark). There is no foul smell, the brood is coming out in one piece, no globs, scale, sacs or otherwise. I have noticed a few workers with mismatched wings. I did a sugar roll and only came up with four mites.

I used to have a copy of "Diseases of the Honeybee" -(or something like that) a fantastic book with color pictures throughout. I can't find it so I went to the library. Their books are very limited, and all pictures were illustrations.

Thank you,

Doug R

[peggjam]

How strong is this hive? Good chance it might be chilled brood, or they may be cleaning out the cells of brood that are infected with mites. Another possiblity is that you are in a dearth and they are decreasing the population to conserve stores. Is this drone brood or worker brood?

[Doug R]

It is happening to two hives that are side-by-side, but not to my third hive (in same yard). I noticed it in one hive, a few days later I noticed it happening to the other. Unfortunately, I have been too busy to check the hives until today. I plan on opening the other up tomorrow morning and doing another sugar roll.

>How strong is this hive?

The two infected hives have been doing extremely well. I pulled 200#s off in July and expect another 200#s by early September. Queen laying well, solid pattern.

>Good chance it might be chilled brood

I doubt it's chilled brood. Everyday is 90 to 100 here and nights have only recently gone down into the 60s.

>they may be cleaning out the cells of brood that are infected with mites.

I pulled a few out to inspect. No mites visible. i do suspect that mites are the root of this problem. I think my sugar roll was a fluke.

>Another possiblity is that you are in a dearth and they are decreasing the population to conserve stores. Is this drone brood or worker brood?

I thought of this. I never heard of such a thing. Actually, the brood that is being removed is mostly dead. Both drone and worker.

I may call the bee inspector. I just don't want the lectures about not using chemicals. I try to avoid the subject with most beekeepers and tell them what they want to hear when it comes to this topic (chemical treatments). Most beekeepers are set in their ways. I know a guy who lost half his hives last winter and still speaks of the virtues of chemicals.

Doug
Doug

[George Fergusson]

I suspect mites, the symptoms and timing are classic. Your sugar roll may not have given you an accurate infestation level. In any case, 4 mites in a roll isn't insignificant. I'd try a drop count or another sugar roll.

[Doug R]

Took apart hive #2 this morning... very odd.

The bottom super (all are mediums) was being filled in with pollen, no honey, no brood. They were also sealing comb on two frames with propylis on the very bottom. I scraped some off and nothing is inside. This is clean white comb, too.

The next two boxes had brood, good pattern. The 4th box was full of almost capped honey. The 5th box was brood again! Two more boxes of honey were above that.

Did another sugar roll. Mite count extremely high. I plan on doing a sugar treatment ASAP. Do I need to treat the bees on the honey supers too? (Lot of work).

Doug

[peggjam]

I would only worry about the broodchambers for now. You might want to conslidate them so they are all together. Make sure you collect all the sugar you use(or as much as possible) as the sugar will not kill the mites, it will only knock them off. I spread a piece of newspaper on the bottom board, then dust with sugar, and go back in a few hours and remove the paper, which I then count mites from and then burn. Or you can desolve in water and count the mites that way. You will want to do this at least 3 times a week apart to get enough of the mites knocked down.

[Axtmann]

Doug

As soon as you see bees with crippled wings you should act immediately. It is a virus infection and the Varroa spread the disease.

IMO this is the only secure way to save your colonies. Go for an oxalic acid vaporizer and treat all your hives the same time at least 3 times a week apart.

Bees from your strong hives going into the week hives for honey, the result is, they bringing the Varroa as a by pack home.

[Doug R]

Oxalic acid vs powdered sugar?

Oxalic acid: Must remove honey supers (and bees on those supers frame by frame).

Powdered sugar: Leave honey supers on and dust brood suppers frame by frame.

Why use one over the other? Are both considered organic or non-chemical?

Doug

[peggjam]

"Why use one over the other? Are both considered organic or non-chemical?"

I think they are both considered organic, but of the two, powdered sugar doesn't require any more than a brush to brush the sugar between the frames, and doesn't require the removal of the honey supers, other than to get to the broodchamber. But, PS is proably not as effictive as OA, and is really only a temporary treatment until a real treatment can be made.

[Doug R]

Peggjam, I read that powdered sugar isn't very effective unless the bees were "blasted" with the sugar.

Doug

[peggjam]

Not in my experiance. just dusting them and letting them clean it off removes most all of the mites.