Bear
House Bee
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2019
- Messages
- 257
- Reaction score
- 28
- Location
- Aberdeenshire
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- 8
Could it be just a ‘one off’ deformity, a freak of nature?View attachment 22150
Any idea what’s wrong with her or what she’s got? No it’s NOT Himalayan balsam before it’s suggested. Her hair is missing and it’s white also she has 1 wing missing. That was from an inspection on Saturday. All the other bees were ok only this one had a deformity.
Not much if you are on top of varroa.Do you guys that side of the pond have a lot of DWV - deformed wing Virus?
Looking at the pic, besides the missing wing the first thing that caught my eye was the dull colouration of the bee. Also looked a bit bloated and out of shape.
Is this a possibility?
Must admit, I have never seen it before...Not much if you are on top of varroa.
AgreedNot much if you are on top of varroa.
hardly any varroa. Do have varroa but very small amounts. Nothing to worry about.That looks like dwv, how have your mite loads been??
That's good to know, could just be what others have said a bit of a mutant it happens.hardly any varroa. Do have varroa but very small amounts. Nothing to worry about.
I have what I think is DWV..
It never seems to be a serious problem, I only see a few max per inspection. I mostly see the odd one or two crawling on the grass in front of the hive.
The dark hairless ones crawling outside quite probably have CBPV. Both viruses are vectored by varroa.The ones in the hive are sometimes still fully/partly hairy, but the crawlers outside are usually darker and bald.
If you're seeing any at all, it's a serious problem. Bees infected with DWV have a very short life, many die as pupae. Those which emerge are evicted very quickly, along with all evidence of their existence.
The dark hairless ones crawling outside quite probably have CBPV. Both viruses are vectored by varroa.
No sorry, not serious as in nothing can save it, as in AFB. But serious as in it's a serious indicator of disease which would be fatal to the colony if left untreated.Its not a burn the box situation like foul brood or beetles right? (I hope....)
So that is why I state "It never seems to be a serious problem.
I have lost two to CBPVYou have me a bit worried now.... Have you experanced problems with DWC/CBVV before, if so what did you do?
They don't look like CBPV, they are not that dark and don't twitch - but I could be wrong.
Both last year and this year I have only seen them for about a 4-5 week period. This year I found 4 in the hive and about 10-15 on the ground. I saw at least double last year. I also saw them carring out a little chalk brood last year around the same time.
The hive in question has a lot of bees, currently a brood, 1/2 and super at the bottom all packed with bees. So my thinking was that relative to the population it was not problematic. And figured the best cause of action was to check for mites after the supers come off.
Sure enough it was infested. I have been sharing the details of my on going OA battle on another thread. I have probably killed 10000+ mites and there are still more. I was very worried about the mites but think I am getting there now. (Thanks Dani)
This hive has been extremely healthy and vigorous this season, filling 5+1/2 supers (from foundation). I saw exactly the same signs of DWV last year and it quickly diminished, as it has done this year when OA treatment started.
I am a little concerned that its shown up twice now in the same hive, but think if I can wipe out the mites, it will likely take care of any DWV.
I have read that DWV is a background or endemic virus in bees that will often persist in low levels. But can become problematic if veroha are introduced as an additional vector.
Its not a burn the box situation like foul brood or beetles right? (I hope....)
So that is why I state "It never seems to be a serious problem".
I can only talk from the little experience I have, just over 1 year! So please anyone with a similar problem don't blindly listen to me.
And if its back again in the spring and starts spreading, then my opinion will quickly change!
If anyone has any recommendations of what I should do if I see it again, then I am all ears.
Out of interest, has anyone lost a hive to DWV/CBPV?
You're right. It's ABPV which is vectored by varroa.As far as I know it’s not vectored by varroa but obviously a colony with a heavy varroa problem are under a lot of stress
I have lost two to CBPV
As far as I know it’s not vectored by varroa
No sorry, not serious as in nothing can save it, as in AFB. But serious as in it's a serious indicator of disease which would be fatal to the colony if left untreated.
Treatment is mite control. As you're already doing that, carry on. And do OA in midwinter to knock out the remainders.
CBPV is vectored by varroa but also aggravated by close contact amongst the bees in a crowded box. If only a few bees affected, that should resolve as the colony diminishes in size. Bees with CBPV don't always twitch, depending on strain.
Sorry if my using the word 'serious' worried you. It is serious but only when people ignore the signs and symptoms. Some people can be quite blase about problems, "it's only a few bees". But you obviously aren't one of those. Keep doing what you're doing and it'll all end up ok.
I have lost two to CBPV
As far as I know it’s not vectored by varroa but obviously a colony with a heavy varroa problem are under a lot of stress
You are not aloneNo need to apologize, it does not take much to get me worried when it comes to bees.
And when I do start worrying about my bees, its usual poor Dani that ends up spending her time reassuring me.
No matter what I do with bees, I always seem to have a niggling doubt in the back of my mind and wonder if I am doing the right thing.
Enter your email address to join: