Boy or girl

[user 18806]

Looked at hives this morning to find 4 of these outside one of them. Thought they would be drones, and when I grabbed one to look at, thought it looked wingless.
Not got my contacts in yet, but looking at photos, eyes (and possibly body) don't seem to be big enough to be a drone, and not completely certain the wings are there or not.
Can somebody confirm if it's a boy or girl please, and if girl, what would/could have caused it?
Thanks in advance.

 

[enrico]

Not wishing to be facetious but they threw them out because they were dead! I wouldn't be worrying about it too much but maybe others may know better!
E

 

[Erichalfbee]

Dead workers with DWV pulled out of cells then thrown out of the hive

 

[user 18806]

Dead workers with DWV pulled out of cells then thrown out of the hive

Thanks for info. Do you mean a new worker emerging, or an older one died in hive and cleared out?
Currently have Apivar strips in hives, and bees are still busy on the ivy.
Anything I can do to stop it spreading, or do I just monitor and hope all going to be ok?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Colour of abdomen suggests they died prior to emerging. The one with the proboscis out is what you often see in weak parasitised bees struggling to get out of the cell.
You have Apivar in
It’s all you can do for now.
When the strips have been in 4 weeks take them out and scratch the surfaces well and put them back for another 6

 

[Repwoc]

They died before emerging and the bees have pulled them from their cells.

 

[Repwoc]

This article has images of different stages of pupal development:

https://www.researchgate.net/public...e_imaginal_molt_of_the_honey_bee/figures?lo=1

 

[user 18806]

They died before emerging and the bees have pulled them from their cells.

They are so clever. Does this mean they could sense they were dead?
Am I to expect more dead on the doorstep?
Is this likely to get worse before, or even if, it gets better?

Thanks Erichalfbee for Apivar info at 4 weeks.

 

[Swarm]

Thought it was leave for six, scratch, then reposition and leave for four more?

 

[For want of a better word]

They are so clever. Does this mean they could sense they were dead?
Am I to expect more dead on the doorstep?
Is this likely to get worse before, or even if, it gets better?

Thanks Erichalfbee for Apivar info at 4 weeks.

If the colony does not succumb in the winter... requeen in the spring.
Add thymol to the Autumnal feed... then leave till March.
Chons da

 

[Erichalfbee]

Thought it was leave for six, scratch, then reposition and leave for four more?

Yes you’re right

 

[user 18806]

Thanks for all the advice.
If we ever get a dry day, thymol syrup will be fed.
Is there something I could, or should have done that would have prevented DWV in the first place?

 

[Swarm]

Thanks for all the advice.
If we ever get a dry day, thymol syrup will be fed.
Is there something I could, or should have done that would have prevented DWV in the first place?

Did you get them as a nuc this year? Have you checked varroa levels? How are they doing for stores? A rapid feeder and four pints of thymolised syrup won't hurt.
You don't need nice weather to feed.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Thanks for all the advice.
If we ever get a dry day, thymol syrup will be fed.
Is there something I could, or should have done that would have prevented DWV in the first place?

Yes
Keep on top of the varroa even if it means treating more than once or twice a year
Monitor regularly
What sort of drops are You getting?

 

[Repwoc]

It is thought that DWV is present in all colonies. Larvae parasitized by Varroa mites are weakened and therefore more susceptible and there is evidence that Varroa actually harbour DWV and therefore are a vector in infecting the bees.

See the Wikipedia page for more info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deformed_wing_virus .

Minimising the Varroa infestation is therefore the best approach.

 

[Erichalfbee]

It is thought that DWV is present in all colonies. Larvae parasitized by Varroa mites are weakened and therefore more susceptible and there is evidence that Varroa actually harbour DWV and therefore are a vector in infecting the bees.

See the Wikipedia page for more info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deformed_wing_virus .

Minimising the Varroa infestation is therefore the best approach.

Varroa not only harbour varroa but attenuate it by reducing the number of different naturally occurring variants to one or two increasing the pathogenic effects. There is research showing that bees inoculated with field virus don’t get ill where’s they do if varroa inoculate the virus

 

[Murox]

Thanks for all the advice.
If we ever get a dry day, thymol syrup will be fed.
Is there something I could, or should have done that would have prevented DWV in the first place?

Just keep them as clear as you can for varroa, the mites spread diseases around.

 

[user 18806]

Did you get them as a nuc this year? Have you checked varroa levels? How are they doing for stores? A rapid feeder and four pints of thymolised syrup won't hurt.
You don't need nice weather to feed.

I got the hives from an elderly chap who couldn't manage anymore. Had 1 super on at time (end of july)

They have plenty of stores in BB. Super off and stored to go back on after Apivar treatment. Always my plan this year to let them have their honey to hopefully give them the best chance of getting through winter.
Will feed either tonight or tomorrow.


The hives don't have the floors that you can slide the plastic part in to see how mite drop is. Is there a way to check on wooden floor? Apivar will have been in a week tomorrow.

 

[Repwoc]

Varroa not only harbour varroa but attenuate it by reducing the number of different naturally occurring variants to one or two increasing the pathogenic effects. There is research showing that bees inoculated with field virus don’t get ill where’s they do if varroa inoculate the virus

Does that mean the DWV vectored by Varroa is a (are) specific strain(s) to which the bees have reduced tolerance?

 

[Swarm]

I got the hives from an elderly chap who couldn't manage anymore. Had 1 super on at time (end of july)

They have plenty of stores in BB. Super off and stored to go back on after Apivar treatment. Always my plan this year to let them have their honey to hopefully give them the best chance of getting through winter.
Will feed either tonight or tomorrow.


The hives don't have the floors that you can slide the plastic part in to see how mite drop is. Is there a way to check on wooden floor? Apivar will have been in a week tomorrow.

I see. If he was struggling, perhaps he'd been a little less on top of varroa control. You have the treatment in place so you are on top of things.
I know people who only think about treating for Varroa when they see signs of DWV!