Brown stuff on back of hive

[Flatters]

I have three hives at one location and have been feeding 2:1 syrup and treating with Apiguard for two weeks. I did a quick check yesterday to put second treatment in and see how they have done with syrup.

One hive had taken all the syrup but another hive had only taken about half of the amount I gave. The one that did not take all the syrup had brown streaks down the back of the hive. It was only on that face of the hive. My initial thoughts was dysentery but the splotches are so big I could not see a bee excreting so much. The bees also never seem to fly to the rear of the hive. They have a wooded back drop and so tend to fly to the open which is in front of them.

I have read about Dysentery and nosema and I worried it is that. Please may I have suggestions on what I should be doing? I have not checked for nosema. I do have a microscope so could so a check. Is there some thread or sticky on doing a check?

Thanks

 

[oliver90owner]

Could be but may not be.

Any seeds in this excreta?
There are other reasons for not taking the syrup as quickly.
It is surprising - the amount a bee can poop?
The advice is to check for nosema. Methods are qell documented on the web, I am sure. 30 foraging bees, abdomens ground in standard volume of water and a slide made. Count spores. Compare results to stands.

Alternatively, get some fumidil-B into them as a precaution. Presumably the syrup is thymolated?

RAB

 

[Flatters]

Thanks Rab
It is plain syrup I have been using as I have the Apiguard tray on so thought that that would be best. I have ordered so Fumidil B and will treat the three hives. I am hoping they take the syrup down.

The monitoring tray did not show any bad signs, it was mainly HB pollen and dead mites. (HB near an end here but masses of Ivy availabe to them and the buds just starting to pop open.) It is also odd that it was on the back of that hive an no where else. I have seen images of infected hives and it tends to be on the front.

I think treating is the best option just in case. If they do not take the syrup all the syrup how do they get the dose? Is it best to spray them with some syrup to start with?

 

[DanBee]

I have seen propolis melt and streak the back of a hive in sudden hot conditions. TBH it's all speculation unless you can provide a photo... is that possible?

 

[Flatters]

Dan Bee
It is at an out apiary. I will go there once the nosema medication arrives and take a photo.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I wouldn't be medicating bees 'just in case' that's when problems start all around - you can't go mucking around with antibiotics. Test first then decide on a plan of action

 

[Nic Rhodes]

Put thymol in your syrup, test for Nosema and if positive treat all apriary with Fumudil B.

 

[Flatters]

I am not familiar with the product so was unaware it was an antibiotic. I will try and get a sample of bees however it is raining here at the moment. If I get some I will post the result later.

Thanks for the input

 

[oliver90owner]

I wouldn't be medicating bees 'just in case'

I don't think it would be a case of that. 'On suspicion of' is a far better term in this instance, so a reasonable basis for treatment, where the alternative is to lose the colonies, needlessly, over the winter. Would that be c. £450 lost, instead of a few quid invested?

That advice was only given as an alternative action if testing was an issue and consideration that the source might have been a vegetarian bird

That would be my advice to any new beek in a similar situation. Experience (and a good second opinion 'on the ground' might be expected to yield a more definitive approach, but let's not be losing colonies for no good reason.

RAB

 

[Flatters]

This is the brown stuff

 

[Ruary]

I would check the deposits for nosema spores, no need to disturb the colony to do that juat take some scrapings and dilute with water.
Ruary

 

[mexbigshow]

looks like bee poo to me

 

[VEG]

defo bee crap.
That monitoring board isn't doing much to hold in fumes if using apiguard.

 

[Onge]

That's what I was thinking.

 

[Swarm]

Looks like the rails for it have not been fitted, some blocks underneath it will lift it closer to the OMF.

 

[Flatters]

I made the floor in a rush (I had a swarm to hive an equipment ready) and did not have anything to hand for the rails. Thanks for pointing that out, I will correct it.

I collected bees but could not see any nosema but I had a few microsope problem (well I was the problem) so went back and collected some poo and got a zoologist to check with a microscope. Thier opinion is that there are some nosema spores however the infestation is at a low level.

 

[Beezer]

defo bee crap.
That monitoring board isn't doing much to hold in fumes if using apiguard.

Those end boards need sealing ditto the sides.

Is it Finman who says all have nosema - winter is coming or something like that

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I made the floor in a rush (I had a swarm to hive an equipment ready) and did not have anything to hand for the rails. Thanks for pointing that out, I will correct it.

I collected bees but could not see any nosema but I had a few microsope problem (well I was the problem) so went back and collected some poo and got a zoologist to check with a microscope. Thier opinion is that there are some nosema spores however the infestation is at a low level.

In that case treat with hivemaker's thymol emulsion in their syrup much better than pumping antibiotics into them

 

[Flatters]

Thanks again for all the input and on reflection and reading through the sticky on thymol syrup I think that is the best option. I will therefore cancel the antibiotics order. I have ordered the thymol crystals and will get the surgical spirit and lecethin at lunchtime. I should be able to get some feed to them before weekend.

Thanks again to Hivemaker. Certainly the summarised recipe on post 44 of the sticky is very informative. Another day and a lot of new things learned.

 

[Onge]

I will therefore cancel the antibiotics order

Yay