Today's Dead outs - CCD?

**upperiver** · 12-29-2009, 12:35 PM

Your hive pictures and description look exactly like mine except that by the time I opened the hive the bees were dead. There was just a little less than golfball sized cluster and no other bees. Tons of honey, various stages of dead brood, and there was a empty queen cell.

In November everything was fine except for some vicious yellow jackets eating some of the bees. Possibly they weakened the population or maybe ate the queen and that's why they made a new queen??

Then in December we had some very cold weather for here--in the low 20's. Maybe they were already dead by then--I don't know.

This is my first year and I was so hopeful that I could get them through the winter. Oh well, I guess I'll keep trying.

There are a lot of frames of capped honey. Can I just go ahead and harvest it?

**RDY-B** · 12-29-2009, 02:31 PM

Dont think i read about your mite treatments-what are you doing -looks like mites-RDY-B

http://www.beesource.com/forums/show...486#post482486

**wildbranch2007** · 12-29-2009, 03:03 PM

here is a link to a site that specializes in testing for ccd and chemicals, send them a sample and let us know the results

http://www.beealert.info/

1620 Rodgers Street (406) 541‐3160 Tel
Suite 1 (406) 541‐3161 Fax
Missoula, MT 59801 jjbromenshenk@beealert.blackfoot.net

mike syracuse

**odfrank** · 12-29-2009, 05:51 PM

Originally Posted by RDY-B

Dont think i read about your mite treatments-what are you doing -looks like mites-RDY-B
http://www.beesource.com/forums/show...486#post482486

I don't treat for mites. But I have had mites for 15 years and this winter massive die off only for 3 years. Mite die off is slow and extended, this is sudden and quick. It is probably mite related, but indirectly. I have only found two or three mites on SBB trays inspected.

**RDY-B** · 12-29-2009, 06:00 PM

Your hives built a high viral level -because you dont treat for mites -we already know mites vector viruses-even with low mite count virus exists-the added STRESS from cold and wet is taking its toll-not to mention added confinement which has its own problems -your problem is in direct relation to mites RDY-B

**Jim Koenig** · 12-29-2009, 06:31 PM

I had a similar die off in one of my hives this fall. The hive was started as a 2-pound package in the first week of April. It built up great and I harvested 266 pounds of honey from it until the last week of August. At that time the hive was given another deep for winter stores and they almost filled that deep in September, 8 of the 10 frames had capped honey. I saw bees flying from the hive until it got to cold to fly.
Checked the hive in early December and they were dead. There was two small clusters in hive, almost no brood, lots of bee bread and honey. I did find some mites under the SBB, but not very many.

I have lost hives in early winter before, usually they have a pretty substantial cluster of bees over two to three frames. Never seen one like this where there was almost no bees left.

**Beeslave** · 12-29-2009, 08:00 PM

Jim,
Over 300 lbs of honey made from a 2 lbs package. Who were the packages from and what stock were the queens from. I really need to get some of those. WOW!!!

**Myron Denny** · 12-29-2009, 08:41 PM

By all means tell us where you got that package!!!!!!

**Jim Koenig** · 12-29-2009, 09:05 PM

The package was brought to Wisconsin from California by Don Cone , I don't know which breeder he buys them from.

**Myron Denny** · 12-29-2009, 09:47 PM

Anyway you can find out? All kinds of package suppliers are going to claim those bees came from their place! While you are at it what did the queen look like, dark or light? And how did you start them?

**IBRed** · 12-29-2009, 11:58 PM

What are you guys going to do with the frames of capped/uncapped honey? I to am experiencing the same symptoms, in three of my top bar hives. At the moment, mine are in the freezer.

**upperiver** · 12-31-2009, 10:56 AM

I used the crush and strain method since I don't have an extractor and also because most of the frames were not on plastic foundation--the comb was completelly drawn from a starter strip. I just cut it out which pretty much crushes it, then strain it into a bucket with a nylon mesh paint strainer.

I separate the uncapped honey from the capped. I made some great baklava from the uncapped.

I'm saving the wax for something someday.

**odfrank** · 12-31-2009, 12:14 PM

Originally Posted by IBRed

What are you guys going to do with the frames of capped/uncapped honey? I to am experiencing the same symptoms, in three of my top bar hives. At the moment, mine are in the freezer.

I have been re-using mine and so far do not recognize any symptoms of them being overly contagious. I lost colonies the same way on brand new combs. It seems to me to be a virus that is so contagious that the susceptible colonies are going to get it whether or not they have infected combs. I have some new starts on last years old combs that are going fine.
If it is contagious like AFB, we all have a hell of a lot of new equipment to build.

**Jim Koenig** · 01-01-2010, 09:53 AM

Originally Posted by Myron Denny

Anyway you can find out? All kinds of package suppliers are going to claim those bees came from their place! While you are at it what did the queen look like, dark or light? And how did you start them?

I will find out the source when I order my packages this spring. The queen was more orange than black, pretty much the typical Italian.

I put the package in a deep super that had little honey and some bee bread left in it, I fed them about 2 quarts of sugar syrup until the I saw them collecting pollen and then gave them another deep for a brood super.

I am still very dissapointed in losing this hive.