Bees are dying as they emerge- help please!

[beekake]

I've got a hive that has been troublesome all season seems to be in trouble. The colony has requeened twice this summer after being moved to the apiary. THe bees have produced next to no stores during the month of flow that we've had, and they are reluctant to take down feed to lay down the kind of stores that all my other hives have got (4 brood frames, plus a half-full super to take them over winter). There is nectar & pollen in the brood box, and a little in the super above, but nothing like what I'd expect.

On inspection today, there looks to be something seriously wrong with the brood. Much of the sealed brood is uncapped, and there are metamorphosed bees in the cells, as if they are emerging. Except that they are dead.

Hopefully someone might be able to diagnose the problem from my description, but I think I've managed to add a photo, which should help enormously. If you can see the photo, you should be able to see all the 'emerging' but dead bees. And no, the QC was not charged!

View attachment 7234

 

[Jimmy]

Drone laying and/or old queen and the brood has got cold late on in development?

 

[beekake]

But why so many dead on emergence? Why isn't a range of brood dead? Note that there are 5 other colonies in the apiary with the same inspection regime...none of the others have brood frames that look like this.

 

[psafloyd]

But why so many dead on emergence? Why isn't a range of brood dead? Note that there are 5 other colonies in the apiary with the same inspection regime...none of the others have brood frames that look like this.

Perhaps they have more brood keeping them warm and haven't suffered a fall in numbers to such an extent that all their bees died.

 

[Norton]

Rip!

 

[Into the lions den]

You have a drone layer. These non emerging bees are drones crammed into worker cells, and just cannot get out. This is a standard presentation of this problem, the colony is a dud, shake it out and reuse it in spring......but subject to the following.

...................there are a few cells on that comb that merit further investigation. Notice a few of the cells (which do not have the domed top of the ones with the drones in them) which have perforated cappings. This should be investigated. May only be chalk brood, but check them out.

 

[madasafish]

As you appear to have a drone laying queen or a worker laying, the bees which tend the larvae and warm the brood are dying of old age and replaced by .. drones. So your nurse bees disappear and the brood left gets cold as drones do not nurse and the bees inside die.

 

[For want of a better word]

At a quick glance at the pollen stores looks like a fungal infection... treat with Hive Clean Chalk Brood or similar?

 

[beehive1234]

Black comb, (to me) is mans' intervention.
It is not natural, nor is it, productive.
Expect problems if your combs are black.

 

[beekake]

yes, I did find some chalk brood in the hive, so I agree with the comments about that. I did take a number of dead bees from the cells, but they were not the size of drones. I didn;t look too closely at the eyes, but it didn't strike me that they were of the drone-type. I'll look again.

 

[Poly Hive]

Now where does that one come from? Black combs are a problem?

PH

 

[beekake]

Black comb...perhaps it is the exposure in the photo...it is dark, but not black. This was a purchased hive from a reputable beek, with the original intention to replace all the comb gradually so that next spring it was all new. However, the continual problems with the hive meant that I decided not to stress the bees too much by asking them to draw any new comb this year.

 

[madasafish]

Now where does that one come from? Black combs are a problem?

PH

My hives must be doomed then. Doomed I tell you...

 

[MuswellMetro]

yes , agree with the last posts, dronelayer queen

the drone must have been evident for some time, a queen if new laying like that is probably this year from a bad mating due to weather

hopeless , the bees will be too old to requeen, throw them out if you have another colony, it no other colony it is kinder to kill them this late in the season

 

[REDWOOD]

We must all be doomed

 

[Into the lions den]

yes, I did find some chalk brood in the hive, so I agree with the comments about that. I did take a number of dead bees from the cells, but they were not the size of drones. I didn;t look too closely at the eyes, but it didn't strike me that they were of the drone-type. I'll look again.

Drones round faced...........workers heart shaped faces............these little bees have drones faces. If you look near the right of the pic you can see a tiny drone that has emerged.


Also.........see no evidence of fungal infection on the pollen.
and comb seems not to be overly old, could be as little as second season. (Note the still translucent areas outwith the dark brood zone.)

 

[beekake]

OK, this is all getting a bit depressing. But at least a consensus is emerging. If the colony is doomed, should I try to combine what bees are left with those in another hive?

 

[the beehive lodge]

Dark comb

Dark/darker comb comes from the age of it, the darker the older nothing wrong with it or using it
if not its better as the bees would have proplized it

 

[Into the lions den]

OK, this is all getting a bit depressing. But at least a consensus is emerging. If the colony is doomed, should I try to combine what bees are left with those in another hive?

Probably no point. The workers will all be old, and the queenright colony will, either immediately or very soon, slaughter all the drones.

Still think you want to investigate the cells with perforated cappings............

 

[REDWOOD]

OK, this is all getting a bit depressing. But at least a consensus is emerging. If the colony is doomed, should I try to combine what bees are left with those in another hive?

just smoke them so they collect what ever honey is left and shake them in front of your other hives