simplyhoney
10-12-2006, 06:08 PM
Alright, it has been a bit since I posted, in the last episode I was battling a mysterious virus, I blew it off for the past few months convinced that it was my own ignorance. However, my uncle a commercial operator (4,500) and a beekeeper of 52 years has backed me on my original observation. Adult bees are dieing and it not varroa, this is affecting all the bees including the queen. We have found that the hives that were left alone and just run for honey are in pretty good shape, but any have that was nuced in the spring has suffered bad. Symptoms:
A: Low population, average mite count and no visual signs of severe mite damage (ie k wing, crooked neck, paralization ect) I've seen many colonies fall to varroa. This ain't it.
B. As others in the forum talk about, a sac brood, chalk brood, or something similar to foul brood or combo of any of these. Most likely due to lack of care by healthy young bees.
C. shotgun brood pattern with odd dronecells among large, apparntly health patches of worker brood (like the queen is failing, but many of mine are new queens that I am confident were mated well)
I have thrown every thing I know at it. TM Tylan, feed with and without vinigar, Honey feed, I even moved them this fall to a very nice honey flow, thinking that it would help. Now they are very heavy and very sparcley populated. Varroa count is up but still not critical.
I am off to Hawaii to go surf.....screw it ;)
A: Low population, average mite count and no visual signs of severe mite damage (ie k wing, crooked neck, paralization ect) I've seen many colonies fall to varroa. This ain't it.
B. As others in the forum talk about, a sac brood, chalk brood, or something similar to foul brood or combo of any of these. Most likely due to lack of care by healthy young bees.
C. shotgun brood pattern with odd dronecells among large, apparntly health patches of worker brood (like the queen is failing, but many of mine are new queens that I am confident were mated well)
I have thrown every thing I know at it. TM Tylan, feed with and without vinigar, Honey feed, I even moved them this fall to a very nice honey flow, thinking that it would help. Now they are very heavy and very sparcley populated. Varroa count is up but still not critical.
I am off to Hawaii to go surf.....screw it ;)