CBPV

[Eyeman]

Some black shiny hairless bees with swollen abdomen. Looks like CBPV unfortunately. Initially thought they had been out robbing as a similar one is flying in.

 

[fian]

Work at spring: remplace Queen.

 

[user 819]

If you suspect CBPV now then likely hood is that they may be doomed and will expire over the winter, if you do nothing.
Best chance if they are still a reasonable sized colony is too remove the floor so any dead or dieing simply fall out of the hive.
Any signs of a dead bee pile outside the hive ?
The floor likely will also be carpeted if a bad case.

I lost a colony in spring to CBPV and another pulled thru , the latter one was a much stronger colony then the other. Removing the floor dramatically reduces the mortuary bees from spreading the infection around, thanks to Neil I used his corrrex cone/ floor design and it worked a treat in reducing the open space under the colony but still allowing the dead to exit the hive without help .

Requeening isn't a defacto requirement as there is no conclusive proof of what causes the Virus bar possibly stress and the close contact that spreads the virus, I left my Q in place as otherwise she is a decent Q.

 

[user 819]

I wonder how much the CBPV virus is varroa related or induced ?

 

[Erichalfbee]

I wonder how much the CBPV virus is varroa related or induced ?

They say not but maybe things are changing. Stress from varroa causing lack of resilience?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Requeening isn't a defacto requirement

 

[fian]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7195492/The positive relationship between affected apiaries in counties with greater import of queens is interesting.

 

[Eyeman]

If you suspect CBPV now then likely hood is that they may be doomed and will expire over the winter, if you do nothing.
Best chance if they are still a reasonable sized colony is too remove the floor so any dead or dieing simply fall out of the hive.
Any signs of a dead bee pile outside the hive ?
The floor likely will also be carpeted if a bad case.

I lost a colony in spring to CBPV and another pulled thru , the latter one was a much stronger colony then the other. Removing the floor dramatically reduces the mortuary bees from spreading the infection around, thanks to Neil I used his corrrex cone/ floor design and it worked a treat in reducing the open space under the colony but still allowing the dead to exit the hive without help .

Requeening isn't a defacto requirement as there is no conclusive proof of what causes the Virus bar possibly stress and the close contact that spreads the virus, I left my Q in place as otherwise she is a decent Q.

It’s a nuc & I’ll take a look inside. No dead bees outside.

 

[user 819]

First on opening is to look at any bees on the top of bars and their actions, mine were shaking and made littleor no attempt to move away from smoke. Apart from the dead bees outside which alerted me it was the opening up thta showed something was definately afoot.

 

[Erichalfbee]

The trouble with taking a floor away this time of year is that the bees will get robbed now that there is little nectar around.
For me a colony with symptoms of CBPV this time of year is on its own.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The trouble with taking a floor away this time of year is that the bees will get robbed now that there is little nectar around.
For me a colony with symptoms of CBPV this time of year is on its own.

I had one a few years ago - just left them to it and they made it into the next season - unfortunately later, they were on the stand that some stray sheep pushed into the river at full flood

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

or

 

[Gunner]

unfortunately later, they were on the stand that some stray sheep pushed into the river at full flood

CBPV detecting sheep - fantastic! Please consider breeding from the flock and prepare to market them

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Actually - I lie, I managed to save that colony and they went on to thrive, it was the the other slightly aggressive colony on the stand that fell all the way to the bottom of the bank and rolled into the river before I managed to get a hand on them, saved me requeening them anyway!! All that was salvaged was the brood box, crownboard and the farmer downstream found a handful of frames washed up in the stockyard

 

[Eyeman]

Took a look inside the nuc. She’s this year’s island mated queen. No dead bees inside or out. Several of the suspects running over the frames.

 

[user 819]

CBPV bees from my observations don't run around let alone move readily,
that nuc colony looks quite well and stocked.

 

[Eyeman]

CBPV bees from my observations don't run around let alone move readily,
that nuc colony looks quite well and stocked.

Yes they are looking healthy with BIAS. The only other thought is they have been out on a robbing spree to get black & shiny. I do occasionally see small black shiny bees in an otherwise healthy colony. But the ones by the entrance were definitely much larger with distended looking abdomens.

 

[Eyeman]

Been reading around the subject of CBPV. Seems that these black shiny bees could represent low grade CBPV that the colony may be able to ‘keep in check’. In the past they were referred to as ‘black robbers’ before Bailey identified the cause.

 

[user 819]

It may be a case if you happen to go back in again , is to pick /flick off the shiny/wet bees so they are out of the colony.

 

[Antipodes]

Yes they are looking healthy with BIAS. The only other thought is they have been out on a robbing spree to get black & shiny. I do occasionally see small black shiny bees in an otherwise healthy colony. But the ones by the entrance were definitely much larger with distended looking abdomens.

We don't have that CBPV here, but I see a few bees like that sometimes (not so much together at the entrance like yours however). I have thought that the ones I see here are old bees. I wonder, do you need both the trembling and the shiny hairless bodies for clinical diagnosis?