Bee Deaths after trickling oxalis acid

[DocMartin]

Yesterday carried out trickle treatment of API Bioxal to our colonies. Api Bioxal was mixed precisely as per the instructions and the colonies were treated with 5 mls per seam of bees.
Today I checked on the hives and found approximately 50 to 100 dead bees beneath some entrances. Is this to be expected after treatment ? We treated with Apistan in late August. Just a bit concerned. Unable to find any definitive answers on the internet

 

[Ian123]

I trickled oxalic for many years with no issues and that was in the days you mixed it yourself. It’s been mild here colonies have been emptying out dead from the cold snap. 50-100 is not a lot I’d suggest it’s probably just the normal removal of the dead and possibly just a coincidence. Do keep an eye though.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

you've just come out of a cold snap, bees are still housekeeping and bringing out their dead from then, and now you go and douse them with cold syrup.
I wouldn't worry about that many dead bees to be honest.

 

[blackcloud]

"Brood mortality" is the hobby horse often bandied about with trickling so the visible dead would be larval/pupal in that case.
Mine have started throwing out corpses after the cold snap as the others have pointed out even though they had their final 2022 vaped dose on Dec1st
I never see dead bees as a result of OA treatment.
Saw two whole hive fulls of the buggers after a Maqs debacle though!

 

[user 819]

Simple house cleaning , now the weather has turned milder.
Colonie have broken cluster and are now moving about carrying out their duties.

 

[madasafish]

I always check entrances now. I recall a colony in January blocked by corpses. More piled up inside.
Had to clear it out with a stick,
Remaining bees did not appreciate the work.

(several hundred dead bees iirc)

 

[Swarm]

One of my winter nucs is the Maisemore type with separate floor. I've not used one of these floors to over winter before and I found that little entrance near enough blocked on my last visit, my own floors just had dead in the porches. I couldn't bend to look how many there were inside on the mesh but pushing the stick in to make sure any pile was brushed clear, it felt like there were quite a few. I'll be keeping an eye on this one .... and making some more floors.

 

[blackcloud]

I took the insert out on mine and put in a more appropriate home made replacement which doubles up as a tunnel

 

[DocMartin]

Thank you for the replies. Losses have not continued in the amount previously noted. Reassurance appreciated.
Reminded me of my history lessons in my formative years and the Black Death. Perhaps they are too small for handcarts and shouts of “ Bring out your dead “

 

[Swarm]

I took the insert out on mine and put in a more appropriate home made replacement which doubles up as a tunnel

Sounds like a good idea, I'll do something similar if I ever use the floor again, I usually use the boxes with my own floors.

 

[blackcloud]

Ditto -made up my own floors with meshes and trays to use the additional boxes as standalones
Wider than the Maisemore footprint so theyre more stable and have eyelets to lash down with bungees
The trays could be used for counting drops but I incorporated them to close off the mesh when housing a freshly disturbed colony so preventing them trying to get in through the mesh instead of the entrance.
The local toads like to have their morning incubation underneath too