[Barney]

A friend called and ask me to come over and look at one of her hives it seem the population was decreasing at a alarming rate. My first obversation was a lot of black shinny bees (no hair on them) and K wings. There was no queen or sign of a queen to be found. Two frames had a small amount of brood but only on one side of each frame. I remember reading that the shinny no hair symptoms is some kind of desease but I can't find where I read it. Could someone please explain these symptom and what should be done to correct it.
Thanks
Barney

 

[brooksbeefarm]

With no queen it could be the bees you are seeing are old bees ( they get slick and shinny) and the hive is dying out. The K wings could be a sign of a mite problem. I would get a new queen quick or combine. Jack

 

[honeybeekeeper]

Noticing bees with K-wing is an indication of Nosema disease as well! Treatment= Treating the bees during spring & fall with Fumagilan-B in their sugar/water! Directions are on the back of the fumagilan-B bottle.

Read it last night pg 216 of my beekeeping book! Good Luck!

 

[AR Beekeeper]

Hairless bees with a shiny, greasy look may have the type II Chronic paralysis virus. This usually shows it's self in my bees if they have become queenless and the population drops to the point the colony is ready to collapse.

I usually don't attempt to save them when they are that far along. If I did try to save them, I would add 2 or 3 frames of all age brood along with the adult bees on the frames and give them a laying queen.

 

[Troy]

I agree with AR beekeeper. i wouldn't try to save them and if I did I would add frames of brood and bees and queen.

But if you take a few frames of bees and brood and a new queen and put it in a new box, then it is just a new split isn't it. And wouldn't a new split (with no disease, and new/clean equipment) be better than maybe passing along whatever the dying colony has to the new split?

I'd let it go at this point and start fresh.