Damaged wing?

[rsjohnson2u]

New-bee here, a little stumped. I have bees, about 10 or so, crawling on lawn near hive. They all have one normal wing and one that is damaged, not curled or a stump, normal length, just no webbing(?). It's as if there is a bone structure or frame, just missing the rest of the wing. Mite count of 8 or less per 24 hour (natural drop). This is nit described in dwv threads I've searched. Older foragers who got worn out? Or something more serious requiring treatment? Thanks in advance.

[BeeCurious]

Do a search for deformed wing virus.

[rsjohnson2u]

I'll try again, but all of the threads I read on dwv described missing, curled, obviously deformed wings. Nothing I saw described one normal wing, one less than so. I've observed frayed wings on some bees, but not these so much. If they could get off the ground, they'd fly in circles!

[Barry]

I'll often see only one wing affected by mites. Most likely the cause of your bees as well.

[rsjohnson2u]

Thanks, Barry. Funny thing is, the damaged wing looked as if it had been split right down the middle, lengthwise. Also, a week later, I'm not seeing any bees with this look. There seem to be a half dozen or so bees in the grass daily, not all spastic, as traceal mites(?), just kinda tired looking-hanging out on grass blades, not trying to fly, not pumping abdomen as if struggling to breathe.

[BEES4U]

8 Varroa mites/24 hours is close, very close to the treatment theshold of 10 mites/24 hours.

[rsjohnson2u]

Okay, I know there are a zillion threads to sift through, to save time and get the bees treated, blackberries are just starting to blossom, expect they'll be going strong within a week or two. What to treat with during a strong nectar flow? Again, I don't have any supers on, I guess it's possible I would need to add one in the next month. Most here in western WA. pull them by mid August, extract, then feed 2:1 in Sept.

[tben]

Hello neighbor,
According to the package it's okay to treat your brood chamber with Hopguard during a flow. We just got the first few blossoms in Bellingham this week too and I'm crossing my fingers that this weather will clear up before the full bloom.

[rsjohnson2u]

tben,
Hello from south of the border (county line). Any idea if hopguard flavors the honey or comb. Not sure the bees will care if their honey tastes like beer, unless they're wine drinkers.....

[tben]

I don't know if it would. There is not much fluid on a strip to be spread into the honey and since it's legal to use with supers on they probably don't think bees will move it throughout the hive.

[BayHighlandBees]

if they're Italians you could be in trouble. Germans bees shouldn't mind

tben,
Hello from south of the border (county line). Any idea if hopguard flavors the honey or comb. Not sure the bees will care if their honey tastes like beer, unless they're wine drinkers.....

[rsjohnson2u]

if they're Italians you could be in trouble. Germans bees shouldn't mind

AWESOME!!!! THAT'S what I'm talkin' about.

[tben]

If Skagit bees are anything like Bellingham bees, they'll be happy as long as it comes from a microbrewery.

[rsjohnson2u]

Talk about lobbing softballs right down the middle.

All joking aside, still stumped, leaning towards hopguard....Wifey says sugar, don't treat til August after flow. Even in my own house two beekeepers with two strong opinions.

Gut tells me treating, if even setting them back, may allow them to bounce back and build up better BEFORE fall. Hmmmmm?

[rsjohnson2u]

Went with powdered sugar almost as means of measurement, rather than as a treatment (I know, kinda wishy-washy).

Twenty-four hour count from ssb hive1:156 hive2:99

[Keth Comollo]

Not sure how you did your count.

I do a sugar shake now. Find a brood comb and shake the bees off into a plastic container. Quickly scoop up 1/2 cup of bees and dump into a 2 qt Mason jar with the wide mouth. The lid on this jar is the normal ring and the middle part has been replaced with #8 hardware cloth. Put a big scoop of sugar on top of the screen and shake it down into the jar on top of the bees. Roll the jar around in your hands for a few minutes and then shake out all the sugar into a bowl. Add water to the sugar and start counting.

Below 10 mites I don't treat. Above 10 I know it is needed soon. Above 20 I treat immediately.

Dump the sugar coated bees in front of the hive.

[rsjohnson2u]

Sorry, I should have been more specific.

24 hour mite drop onto greased shelf below screened bottom board. I would expect much lower mite counts day 2, As powdered sugar's effectiveness seems mostly mechanical, and the bees aren't very white after only and hour or so.

Prior to "treatment" with sugar, 24 hour counts were steady below 10 mites a day. It was the damaged wings on bees on lawns that had me worried, which is what prompted the original question.