Tracheal Mites: How long will I still see bees dying?

[jbeshearse]

The past two days I have seen about 100 to 200 dead or dying bees in front of one of my hives. They are workers, not drones and are not necessarily old bees. No excretement on the outside of the hives, so I am assuming Tracheal mites, not Nosema. I added a oil/sugar patty this morning. So the question is, How long will the bees continue to die after this treatment. it is my understanding that it stops new infections but does not "cure" those that are already infected.

I intend to re-queen in the spring with a resistant queen, but would really like this hive to make it overwinter.

[Axtmann]

One treatment with a Thymol product will take care of all Tracheal mites. Don’t go for essential oil, use something with pure Thymol (99% and up).

[JohnK and Sheri]

I think it would be safest not to assume anything but to get a confirmed diagnosis. Nosema C does not present the same symptoms as Nosema A, you will not see excrement on the outside of the hive from Nos C.
Sheri

[SwedeBee1970]

Research indicates that the bees, regardless of which type of Nosema, defecate on the INSIDE of the hives and other bees get infected by trying to move the feces outside.

If you have a hive entrance reducer, remove it and check for droppings. No evidence could rule this possibility out.

I would give the Thymol a shot for the tracheal mites possibility.

See this other post:
http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=215806

[Michael Palmer]

I'm not really familiar with how TM symptoms present themselves in Florida. In the north, TM are a confinement problem. The infested bees fly out of the hive all winter, until there is a small cluster left...which no longer has critical mass. If the colony can keep enough bees to rear some brood in early spring, then they may recover. Aren't your colonies raising brood?

You should have some bees tested for TM. The problem could be a number of things including varroa and paralysis.

[jbeshearse]

Thanks for the replies, I do intend on taking a some of the dead bees in for testing on Monday.

Yes they "were" still raising brood, but temps have dipped the past few days to lows in the lower forties at night. When I looked up through the SBB this evening prior to dark, the bees were clustered. They were flying pretty actively most of the day (temps in the high fifties).

The SBB was covered with dead bees, and I had about 50 dead bees on the ground in front of the hive. The hive next to it has less than 5 dead bees in front of it. The bees are either crawing out themselves or the mortuary workers are taking them out. Most of the bees are just able to crawl when they appear on the ground in front of the hive. The workers can be seen bringing some of the dying bees out and leaving them there.

I guess I need to go ahead and order some fumagillin, menthol and thymol, so I can be sure to have the correct response ready. I did a sugar dust for mites last week and the mite load appears below problem thresholds. SHB are present, but not in extrodinary numbers and no SHB larvae are to be seen. A few Wax moth larvae were in the outside combs, but the bees removed them, then I removed the the frames and froze (put bare top bars in there place.

jeb