[doodlebug]

Last week we did our first inspection and it seemed to go well. We found both of our queens and there seemed to be lots of brood. When we came inside there was one little bee on my husband's shirt and its wings were very small. When observing the hive on previous occasions we saw a few bees with wings that sort of stuck out to the side. Is this K wing and is it there something we should do about it?

 

[Phoebee]

K-wing and deformed wings are both indicators of bee disease, but they may occur in small numbers with no cause for alarm. A picture would be a great help for the experts here to judge.

The deformed wing virus usually results in bees that can't fly. Watch the hive entrance and see if you have significant numbers of either problem languishing there.

Keep up with your mite inspections ... that's usually the transmission vector.

 

[Slow Drone]

They can't fly with K wing. All four wings will stick out with K wing or sometimes just three wings stick out. The bees lose the ability to hinge their wings for flight. K way is not symptomatic to just one disease or condition.Bees will sit with their wings sticking out but not unhinged.

 

[mgolden]

What percentage per day of non flyers is acceptable?

Say the queen is laying 1500-2000 eggs per day and if there is 15-20(1%) non flyers, is that acceptable/normal?

Have a hive in a building with a plywood floor and I get concerned seeing very many non flyers?

 

[Slow Drone]

Acceptable to normal yes. Bees don't live but six weeks under normal conditions.

 

[Michael Bush]

It is normal to see an occasional "K" wing. It's not normal to see a lot of "K" wing.

 

[karenarnett]

I am seeing a lot of drone crawlers - not deformed wing but K-wing. This is more tracheal mite symptom than varroa, correct? I don't hear people talking much about tracheal lately, but I imagine it's still a problem to be watched out for.

 

[Slow Drone]

Nosema and tracheal mites. K wing are also symtoms of these too. K wing is symptomatic of several different diseases and disorders not just mites or nosema. Mites can be diagnosed by a 40x microscope, nosema a 400x microscope. K wing can also just be a bee that is old an worn out.