Dead Bee-Hives over the winter with almost no corpses.

[Boston Bees]

A bit too Donald Runsfeld for my liking......

OK, but what do you think about the photos?

 

[BugsInABox]

A bit too Donald Runsfeld for my liking......

He never said anything truer (ever).

 

[Erichalfbee]

I would appreciate, if you are a bit more precise in what you want/need to see so I can provide it. In the end I want to figure this out so I can eventually avoid these mistakes in the future.

Hi. It's so hard to explain. I'd like to look at the frames.
Boston Bees has said there is no evidence of brood disease and he is probably right. Do you know how to check for AFB? I would do it anyway to put my mind at rest. Put a stick in some of those capped cells to see if they string out.
As for mistakes....well you don't treat for varroa and I do. That's the mistake in my mind

 

[Erichalfbee]

Dani, would you be able to label up the frame that you were looking at please, so that I can spot what you looked at? Thanks, Emily

Elaine, I'm not sure. It's probably the light. I really need to have the frame in my hands

 

[E&MBees]

Elaine, I'm not sure. It's probably the light. I really need to have the frame in my hands

Thanks Dani.

 

[Boston Bees]

Just to provide something for the original poster to compare, this is what AFB scales look like (this image is from the internet)

Probably not the problem in this case, but yes, definitely open up the brood cells and if you see brown, icky pupae, phone a bee inspector asap.

 

[The Poot]

OK, but what do you think about the photos?

Beyond me I’m afraid. It looks like a disease in the first set of pictures
Second set could prove starvation as no signs of stores.
But why so few corpses? Could the failings happened before Winter?
Did the bees get wiped out by wasps/hornets late Autumn?
Just guesses really....

 

[Polymorph]

Hi. It's so hard to explain. I'd like to look at the frames.
Boston Bees has said there is no evidence of brood disease and he is probably right. Do you know how to check for AFB? I would do it anyway to put my mind at rest. Put a stick in some of those capped cells to see if they string out.
As for mistakes....well you don't treat for varroa and I do. That's the mistake in my mind

As well as the stick test, I would open the cells, pull out the pupae and look for varroa mites. The very limited number of bees and presence of food in the combs could suggest that the colonies absconded due to the mite load. So check the capped brood for signs of infestation - if none, then move on to another diagnosis.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

But why so few corpses?

That happens in any colony that doesn't experience a sudden catastrophic mortality. A diseased colony or a queenless one, or one heavily laden with varroa will slowly dwindle but the bees will still follow their domestic functions, cleaning the hive and removing any dead bees until the task becomes too burdensome - by this time there are very few bees left, these then die and that is all you will find in the hive.

 

[The Poot]

Thanks Jenks, that‘s clarified it for me.

 

[beeno]

Hi Ueanuwug, I would say that your colonies died from heavy varroa infestation as evidenced by bees uncapping cells containing larvae and pupae as well as mature bees too weakened and sick to emerge from their cells. Some of the dead bees on the OMF would appear to have stunted abdomens which is another indication of varroa infested colonies.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I'm sure Beeno is right. The bees died because they weren't treated for varroa

 

[madasafish]

IMG_20210228_150938.jpg has what looks like AFB scales in the bottom of the cells. (see centre of picture)

IMG_20210228_150954.jpg has similar and a pinprick hole in a capped cell (centre left).

I would get it tested.. AFB is HIGHLY contagious..

Close the hive up and close all entrances. Call a Bee Inspector is my advice.

Edit:
and if you have any other hives with similar scales, then it is AFB. The BI will want to inspect all your hives.

 

[Swn58]

I have had two colonies and a nuc destroyed, by the most aggressive wasps I've ever experienced, last season. This was down at the farm. Upon later inspection, there was barely a dead bee left in the hives.
I know that I will have to take extra measures this coming season. Apart from wasp traps around the apiary, which I do not like to use, I am thinking of setting up 'bait stations' around the wood, to distract them away from my hives.
Before anyone suggests it was hornets that caused the destruction, I know what a hornet is!
One of my allotment apiaries had a wasps nest not more than a hundred yards from me last season. They caused me no trouble at all, apart from a bit of honey stealing.

 

[Popparand]

I think unfortunately you are likely to be completely wrong.
Can you post pictures of a few brood frames?
Ignore the bees just look at the cells. Are any like this? View attachment 24622

Great picture. What are we looking at precisely that is causing a problem?

 

[Popparand]

Great picture. What are we looking at precisely that is causing a problem?

OK Foul brood. I thought we was talking varroa

 

[Erichalfbee]

Great picture. What are we looking at precisely that is causing a problem?

The white specks in the brood cells which are likely to be varroa poo b

 

[Ueanuwug]

Hello guys. Was kinda occupied so I didn't get around replying.

I did do what Boston Bee suggested and opened up around 25-30 brood cells. Reasonably disgusting considering the brood is probably dead for a while.

Out of those there were 4 larvaes with white drips of varroa (see picture). And a good chunk were sort of a white liquified mass. Dont know what that's supposed to mean. If it just rot away and became icky or if there is more to it.