Lots of cells of different ages, no? Is the brood spotty or really backfilled?
Queen cells anyone!
I recently introduced a new queen to 11 hives. As I was going through them I found one that decided it was going to make some more queen. I guess one wasnt good enough. This is a good example why you always check for queen cells after new introduction. The pics are from the same hive.
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One queen for eleven hives is really stretching out brood! Do you move here every day to the next hive? I've always used a queen in each hive.
Spotty brood, different age open brood intermixed.
Can't tell for sure but it looks like I can see a few dead uncapped brood.
Looks like a bad case of EFB.
Is that the only brood you have in the hive?
Can't tell for sure but it looks like I can see a few dead uncapped brood.
Looks like a bad case of EFB.
Is that the only brood you have in the hive?
The EFB alarm again?Spotty brood, different age open brood intermixed.
Can't tell for sure but it looks like I can see a few dead uncapped brood.
Looks like a bad case of EFB.
Is that the only brood you have in the hive?
Have you ever had to deal with EFB?
YES - You want to see more EFB alrrms search my profile theres alot more there.
Have you?
Have you?
I have never had to deal with EFB. I have seen it once in a cut out about 3 years ago. We live on a time crunch here with drawn comb productions. Once we hit a dearth they stop all together and the queen slows laying in comparison. This hive is super healthy actually. Started from a split in early summer so considering it is doing well.
As far as spotty brood I would say that they back filled pretty fast. It will level out once the new queen starts to lay well. She hadn't started yet so about 5 days had gone by with no new eggs being layed.
As far as spotty brood I would say that they back filled pretty fast. It will level out once the new queen starts to lay well. She hadn't started yet so about 5 days had gone by with no new eggs being layed.
yup. And I know that by the photos and discussion that there is not enough evidenceYES
Have you?
to call out efb. again. Spotty brood alone does not equal efb.
There are other conditions to consider that could be responsible for the state of that colony.
what's a time crunch?I have never had to deal with EFB. I have seen it once in a cut out about 3 years ago. We live on a time crunch here with drawn comb productions. Once we hit a dearth they stop all together and the queen slows laying in comparison. This hive is super healthy actually. Started from a split in early summer so considering it is doing well.
As far as spotty brood I would say that they back filled pretty fast. It will level out once the new queen starts to lay well. She hadn't started yet so about 5 days had gone by with no new eggs being layed.
dearth would explain it. But in picture 2 there seems to be some white spots in the comb
in the upper left of the photo, is that a reflection or is something in there?
I'm an exAustinite, so have some familiarity w/ conditions there.
Capped honey I believe. Bad photos I know. When it's 98 degrees and 3pm you want to hurry!
Time crunch... I was referring to the time they will vigoursly build comb. I don't know if it is because they are feral stock of queens but they seem to only build for about 6-8 weeks. Austin seems to get more rain than us in San Antonio. The geography allows for that due to the line of hills in central Texas. I hope the new queens that were introduced will improve the comb building problem. We shall see!
Time crunch... I was referring to the time they will vigoursly build comb. I don't know if it is because they are feral stock of queens but they seem to only build for about 6-8 weeks. Austin seems to get more rain than us in San Antonio. The geography allows for that due to the line of hills in central Texas. I hope the new queens that were introduced will improve the comb building problem. We shall see!
There is a lot of it going around, a lot in almonds last 3 years, many bees held there because of it. Many more left and spread it through out the country.
It even baffles the experts
http://scientificbeekeeping.com/sick...pse-revisited/
Jeff Pettis from Beltsville Bee Lab "is seeing more EFB and Idiopathic Brood Disease Syndrome? (aka 'Snot brood' as they casually call it …white dying larva) EFB is increasing in certain areas. Unknown causes. Also in UK and Switerzerland -- seeing strains that are more virulent EFB. Lab is seeing it in IL and deep south. IBDS: have seen it all over country. Don't know what it is. Could be viral, bacterial. Not associated with high varroa. (Unlike parasitic syndrome) Bees on blueberries tend to get more EFB. More is popping up this area."
The pictures posted here are text book case of EFB. To be 100% sure you will need to send samples in for testing. (it's free)
If you search google images for EFB you will get picture that look just like the ones above.
Feeding EO will make it worse, killing LABs which will make the bee unable to defend themselves and turn a mild case of EFB to a hive crasher.
The quicker you confirm and treat the better chance you have at saving the hive.
I would check your other hives, if you have EFB some of your other hive will have it too. If it is EFB a dearth it make it worse.
It even baffles the experts
http://scientificbeekeeping.com/sick...pse-revisited/
Jeff Pettis from Beltsville Bee Lab "is seeing more EFB and Idiopathic Brood Disease Syndrome? (aka 'Snot brood' as they casually call it …white dying larva) EFB is increasing in certain areas. Unknown causes. Also in UK and Switerzerland -- seeing strains that are more virulent EFB. Lab is seeing it in IL and deep south. IBDS: have seen it all over country. Don't know what it is. Could be viral, bacterial. Not associated with high varroa. (Unlike parasitic syndrome) Bees on blueberries tend to get more EFB. More is popping up this area."
The pictures posted here are text book case of EFB. To be 100% sure you will need to send samples in for testing. (it's free)
If you search google images for EFB you will get picture that look just like the ones above.
Feeding EO will make it worse, killing LABs which will make the bee unable to defend themselves and turn a mild case of EFB to a hive crasher.
The quicker you confirm and treat the better chance you have at saving the hive.
I would check your other hives, if you have EFB some of your other hive will have it too. If it is EFB a dearth it make it worse.
In which of the 5 pictures can you see dead brood?... looks like I can see a few dead uncapped brood.
>In which of the 5 pictures can you see dead brood?
"Can't tell for sure but it looks like I can see a few dead uncapped brood."
Picture2 near the bottom left maybe 3
Picture 5 left side lots of nice c shaped larva and several odd shaped larva some almost look like they stretched to one edge of the cells.
(use your control key with your mouse scroll to zoom in on picture)
Also picture 5 showing inter mixed ages of brood and empty cells side by side and do not look appear to be back filled.
I am also curious if there other frames of open and capped brood in this hive?
"Can't tell for sure but it looks like I can see a few dead uncapped brood."
Picture2 near the bottom left maybe 3
Picture 5 left side lots of nice c shaped larva and several odd shaped larva some almost look like they stretched to one edge of the cells.
(use your control key with your mouse scroll to zoom in on picture)
Also picture 5 showing inter mixed ages of brood and empty cells side by side and do not look appear to be back filled.
I am also curious if there other frames of open and capped brood in this hive?
Cwood, thanks for the OP, I had a great queen I just could not pinch (but had two queens in that hive) so I put her in a low performing hive and pinched that one. Now she is laying up a storm but I have about the same situation that you do. I have QC all over that hive, and at least one of them was open and empty with the prettiest cap still attached. We are also in a dearth and the only thing that will bloom to the end of the year is Hawk weed, Queens Ann’s lace and Tansy. I did not take pictures, that was good thinking on your part.
You must have more experience with EFB, or much better eyes than I do. I can't see what you're suggesting, but I've only seen EFB a couple of times and all cases it was easily resolved. I'm not suggesting that EFB may not be a greater emerging threat as you point out. I simply can't see it here. Perhaps if we had better close-up pictures we'd have a better chance of definitely suggesting a problem. Without further info, I'd simply move forward with requeening as required and see how things play out.Picture2 near the bottom left maybe 3
Picture 5 left side lots of nice c shaped larva and several odd shaped larva some almost look like they stretched to one edge of the cells.
I had a few queens that were really good but I deal with some aggression down here is south Texas. The bees are not the friendliest. I plan on expanding to about 30 hives next year and will need help do to be being a full time college engineering student, father, and having to work! The mean bees had to go good queen or not. As far as the pictures go I took them on a whim. Last minute decision because I thought it was cool to see that many. I counted about 40 in the hive.Cwood, thanks for the OP, I had a great queen I just could not pinch (but had two queens in that hive) so I put her in a low performing hive and pinched that one. Now she is laying up a storm but I have about the same situation that you do. I have QC all over that hive, and at least one of them was open and empty with the prettiest cap still attached. We are also in a dearth and the only thing that will bloom to the end of the year is Hawk weed, Queens Ann’s lace and Tansy. I did not take pictures, that was good thinking on your part.
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