Dead bees with 'pearly' coloured abdomens

[Lesley Hoppy]

Can anyone shed any light on this? I have just come in from topping up my feeders with some syrup - and noticed an unusually large number of dead bees around the front of both hives - with strange pearly light coloured abdomens.. I am now really worried - unless it is the rain that has made them turn this colour - that this a notifiable disease - but at this stage I have not found any info describing this manifestation. I will keep looking through my books - but meanwhile if anyone out there has any ideas I would be grateful...

 

[enrico]

Photo would be good

 

[justme]

QUOTE=enrico;223219]Photo would be good[/QUOTE]

 

[Lesley Hoppy]

Have tried to upload a photo but keep getting 'invalid file' ....If you can just imagine, soggy wet dead bees with pearly pale yellow abdomens - then you get the picture. There must be about 20-30 in front of each hive on the landing board. I have only noticed two or three before. There may be more in the grass in front but it was raining so I didn't hang around...

 

[Lesley Hoppy]

Best guess so far is Nosema...?

 

[Phayze]

maybe they are underdeveloped,died and bees kicked them out, just a guess as they are white as grubs then change colour when they develop into bees

 

[Lesley Hoppy]

maybe they are underdeveloped,died and bees kicked them out, just a guess as they are white as grubs then change colour when they develop into bees

Thanks for that suggestion but they were definitely fully developed bees - it was just the strange 'gold' abdomens that have me worried..

 

[Excession]

Best guess so far is Nosema...?

I have not experienced this, but seen pictures (google) the front of the hive would be plastered with poo.

Is this the case? Or maybe the rain has washed it away...

To be clear - I don't know, just food for thought.

 

[Anduril]

Brood that is expanding but not enough bees to maintain temperature causing natural losses. Picture would be good.

 

[MuswellMetro]

i suspect it is DWV (deformed wing Virus) vectored by a high Varroa load

the Bees will pull them out at dark eye stage, and they will look like fully formed pale bees with deformed wings


check the wings, i bet they are stunted or very thin whispers of wings

 

[Lesley Hoppy]

Sadly I think you are right - the rain has died down and enabled me to get a better look... most of the dead bees have no wings and the pearly abdomen. What do I do now? I treated them at the end of last season withe Apilife Var - then treated them with OA in Jan .... I thought I had done everything by the book.....

 

[Erichalfbee]

I found three of these this afternoon.
There a were a few chewed off cappings on the floor tray as well.(i've had it in for a few days as this colony has a super on and it's got cold.
I've just put in some greased paper to check the varroa count
Like you, Apilife last year OA this and insignificant count

 

[beesleybees]

im a relative newb and I hope this is not a daft question but if the brood is covered by a layer of wax, how do the bees know that it is somehow deformed and should be discarded??

TIN HAT maybe???

 

[Lesley Hoppy]

Not a daft question at all - I would love to know! Perhaps they are dead and give off an aroma?

 

[For want of a better word]

A thought... could these be early drone brought on by the clement weather in your locale and being bumped off as it were as weather has changed and hence not required?

 

[Lesley Hoppy]

A thought... could these be early drone brought on by the clement weather in your locale and being bumped off as it were as weather has changed and hence not required?

Is that what they sometimes do?? There was certainly drone brood when I peeped in during that hot spell a few weeks ago .....
That would make complete sense...

 

[Erichalfbee]

This was my first thought. I noticed one this morning.It was drone sized.I didn't pay much attention till I spotted the original post here and went to find two more.
Last time I looked into the hive two weeks ago there were a few capped drones in this hive (but not the other 14 x 12).
The circular cappings on the floor looked like drone cell cappings.
edited to say....I've just gone to have another look and they are definitely drone pupae....big eyes.

 

[For want of a better word]

That would make complete sense...

THAT will be a first for me !!!

​

 

[Lesley Hoppy]

That would make complete sense...

THAT will be a first for me !!!

​

I really want you to be right ..... but is this just a theory you have come up with or is it a known form of bee behaviour?
I dont mean that to sound rude..... I am really appreciating your input!

 

[MuswellMetro]

they all look like DWV to me, even if they are drones, they get DWV as well ( but i am open to other views)

you have good hygienic bees who have smelt through the porous cappings that something is wrong and removed the DWV infected drones

so, is it your fault,

well no, it is the virus and the varroa but stopping it can only be done by meticulous varroa control and then no always

this year i think quite a few will have DWV as oxalic acid works better in a brood free time....that was difficult or almost impossible due to the weather this winter

i dont use api var life so do not know its efficiency but next autumn start any treatment mid august and ( i do but its not according to the manual) consider if using a mainstream like apiquard then an extended period of three application rather than two ,especially on 14x12 or brood and half

why do i think its DWV....well saw some on the landing boards as well yesterday....WHY now ..drones atrack more varroa, therfore more DWV likely and..lots and lots of new nurse bees just emerged, cleaning up before going on to forage later in May