Colony absconded - was it due to varroa?

[RichardK]

Over the last week I've had a colony abscond. I didn't think it could be varroa related until I dismantled the hive and saw the base board, picture below. With work commitments I've not managed to complete 5 oxalic acid vape treatments 4 or 5 days apart but have done a set of 4 and another 4 or 5 isolated vapes. The first 24 hours did show a reasonable drop but over time this has decreased enormously to the extend that the last isolated vape I did (16th Nov) the drop wasn't much comparatively - I didn't count but lets say 50 mites over 24 hours.

But then I saw the base board. I've not seen this before but am guessing it could show that larva were being pulled from the cells presumably due to varroa? If this is varroa, I must have still had a very heavy infestation?

 

[Parsonage Bees]

Not as many as this but saw today immature bees (white abdomens) thrown out the front.
They have a high varroa level. Last treatment was Apiguard through September. Waiting to OAD in couple of weeks.
My guess is that some brood was chilled when we had a -7degC overnight a few days ago. ?
Don't think any colonies absconded tho'. Logically, 'absconded' ? . . . where would they go? They've died out.

#edit Perpignan. Didn't realize how far south you are. You're on the Med and virtually in Spain. Don't think any of my comments above about weather apply to you.

 

[ericbeaumont]

not managed to complete 5 oxalic acid vape treatments 4 or 5 days apart but have done a set of 4 and another 4 or 5 isolated vapes

When did you start treatment? Looks like it was too late and too erratic to deal with the problem.

 

[RichardK]

When did you start treatment Looks like it was too late and too erratic to deal with the problem.

I started in September and think the load was high on some colonies as even on the 3rd and 4th vape I had some quite significant drops. Then I missed the 5th (& realistically it was going to take me more than 5 to sort the problem) never managed to really get going again. I had a number of 1's and 2's but never got to 3 in a row again. Just started again today so will see what the drop is tomorrow. I actually had 2 colonies abscond last week (I did a one off vape Saturday 11 days ago) and initially thought maybe it was me vaping that made them go - the weather was awful that weeks so very unlikely they survived.

 

[WalnutTreeBees]

I started in September and think the load was high on some colonies as even on the 3rd and 4th vape I had some quite significant drops. Then I missed the 5th (& realistically it was going to take me more than 5 to sort the problem) never managed to really get going again. I had a number of 1's and 2's but never got to 3 in a row again. Just started again today so will see what the drop is tomorrow. I actually had 2 colonies abscond last week (I did a one off vape Saturday 11 days ago) and initially thought maybe it was me vaping that made them go - the weather was awful that weeks so very unlikely they survived.

In my (fairly limited) experience, when they abscond they often move straight into other nearby hives. Had one go a couple of months ago - when I first arrived at the apiary, I thought that a major robbing session was in progress, not wanted to open any hives I left and then returned a couple of days later to find that everything was completely calm. After inspecting, I found one hive empty (and not yet fully robbed out) and realised that the previous commotion must have been the workers begging their way into the other hives.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I actually had 2 colonies abscond last week

sounds like they died off rather than absconded (well, maybe the last few buggered off to beg a berth elsewhere.

 

[RichardK]

sounds like they died off rather than absconded (well, maybe the last few buggered off to beg a berth elsewhere.

I actually took a look inside on 16th Nov and all was well. Loads of bees, decent stores - I didn't inspect all frames but the dying off idea is unlikely based on what I saw then v's 8 days later.

To you could the image point to varroa or are those bodies not an abnormal thing to find in late autumn?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

the baseboard in that image looks more like a queen excluder, and that small handful of dead bees indicates nothing - a peep at the brood would have given us more of a clues.
Also that small amount of bees mixed with what looks like chalbrood or chilled brood mumies would suggest to me a very small or dwindling colony

 

[RichardK]

the baseboard in that image looks more like a queen excluder, and that small handful of dead bees indicates nothing - a peep at the brood would have given us more of a clues.
Also that small amount of bees mixed with what looks like chalbrood or chilled brood mumies would suggest to me a very small or dwindling colony

Thanks for your insight. The board by the way is just a standard Dadant plastic ventilated bottom board.