Dead bees

[Bubbs]

Hi.
A few days ago we had a warm spell here in South Wales. My bees were very busy flying in and out etc.
I had just finished a new National Hive that I had bought (kit form) and put together, I placed it along side my original one. I coated it with Cuprinol Garden Shade paint and decided to give my old hive a tidy up and paint it to match the new one. The bees only allowed me to paint the rear of the hive and then started flying around me, as I wasn't suited up I decided to leave it alone.
This morning I noticed there was no activity, I opened the hive up to find them all dead.
Any ideas?
Was it the paint?

 

[Erichalfbee]

More info please.
How many bees in the hive?
Where are they?
Any stores?
Did you treat for varroa with what and when?
Some pictures of the frames would be good

 

[hemo]

Could be coincidental.

 

[batesbees]

The Cuprinol Garden Shades contains Zinc Pyrithione - which is very harmful to fish, but the only reference I could find about bees was a Dutch paper ....thanks Google translate....entitled ' The college for the admission of plant protection products and biocides' - in the original Dutch ' Het College Voor De Toelating Van Gewasbeschermingsmiddelen En Biociden' which stated:
Non target arthropods and bees
The risk assessment to arthropods is considered to be similar to soil organisms due to their direct contact with soils. The standards for soil arthropods are therefore met. Because the active substance has a non systemic mode of action, secondary exposure of bees through pollen is considered negligible. Hence, the risk for bees is considered acceptable for zinc pyrithione.

​

 

[Bubbs]

The Cuprinol Garden Shades contains Zinc Pyrithione - which is very harmful to fish, but the only reference I could find about bees was a Dutch paper ....thanks Google translate....entitled ' The college for the admission of plant protection products and biocides' - in the original Dutch ' Het College Voor De Toelating Van Gewasbeschermingsmiddelen En Biociden' which stated:
Non target arthropods and bees
The risk assessment to arthropods is considered to be similar to soil organisms due to their direct contact with soils. The standards for soil arthropods are therefore met. Because the active substance has a non systemic mode of action, secondary exposure of bees through pollen is considered negligible. Hence, the risk for bees is considered acceptable for zinc pyrithione.

​

Well at least I can rest easy and not think I murdered them

 

[Bubbs]

More info please.
How many bees in the hive?
Where are they?
Any stores?
Did you treat for varroa with what and when?
Some pictures of the frames would be good

I'll sort some photos on the weekend.
There were about 5000 bees, no sign of verroa so I did not treat the hive. They have depleted their stores but had plenty of fondant and sugar syrup.
The hive is in my veg garden backing onto a field of sheep they were fine just a few days ago.

 

[Boston Bees]

no sign of verroa

When you say "no sign" .... How did you check?

 

[Erichalfbee]

I'll sort some photos on the weekend.
There were about 5000 bees, no sign of verroa so I did not treat the hive. They have depleted their stores but had plenty of fondant and sugar syrup.
The hive is in my veg garden backing onto a field of sheep they were fine just a few days ago.

Thanks for that.
well await your pictures which may well help with a proper diagnosis rather a flurry of speculation.

 

[The Poot]

Well at least I can rest easy and not think I murdered them

I hope not as I’ve just painted new poly hives with the same stuff. No bees in them currently....

 

[Boston Bees]

Well at least I can rest easy and not think I murdered them

I think painting hives with bees in is best avoided though, whatever paint is used. Just for the future.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I hope not as I’ve just painted new poly hives with the same stuff. No bees in them currently....

Thousands of us use Cuprinol. Chill.

 

[Swarm]

I'll sort some photos on the weekend.
There were about 5000 bees, no sign of verroa so I did not treat the hive. They have depleted their stores but had plenty of fondant and sugar syrup.
The hive is in my veg garden backing onto a field of sheep they were fine just a few days ago.

There rarely is but they are there. Varroosis is probably the cause.

 

[madasafish]

I must have painted 50 hives with bees in them over the past 10 years with a variety of paints .

Never killed any hives that way... I'll keep trying

 

[ericbeaumont]

no sign of verroa so I did not treat the hive

No easy way to say this, Bubbs: big mistake.

Unless you live in Colonsay, Oronsay, the Isle of Man, the Scilly Isles or parts of Scotland, varroa is in all colonies to some degree.

Good news is that you won't repeat the same mistake this year, and you have time to read up on routine late-summer varroa treatments.

Try this Beebase - Beekeeping information resource for Beekeepers
and this When to treat? - The Apiarist

 

[oliver90owner]

There were about 5000 bees, no sign of verroa so I did not treat the hive

Not enough reliable info to be able to make a good guess. When were there 5000 bees? Did they all die over one day? No varroa - I think not!

My best guess is that they did not all die overnight.

 

[Ian123]

I would guess hive may well have been already dead when painted and it was robbing bees you saw. Old boys used to creosote some in winter with bees insideif you didn’t treat that would be the first suspect. Ian

 

[hemo]

Going back to hive painting, I have used shades and painted hives with bees inside during warmer times of the year will no ill affect, the paint dries very quickly.
Two other indications from submissions made;
1. No varroa treatment.
2.No nearby stores though fondant and syrup available, this cold also mean the bees didn't access it in great numbers.

 

[pargyle]

I would guess hive may well have been already dead when painted and it was robbing bees you saw. Old boys used to creosote some in winter with bees insideif you didn’t treat that would be the first suspect. Ian

Theres a real benefit to having clear crownboards ... a quick look through and a hand on the crownboard to check the heat coming off the colony is very reassuring and doesn't disturb the bees at all... particularly for new beekeepers...

 

[Ian123]

Theres a real benefit to having clear crownboards ... a quick look through and a hand on the crownboard to check the heat coming off the colony is very reassuring and doesn't disturb the bees at all... particularly for new beekeepers...

I remember the old glass type and what a pile of carp they were, I’ll upgrade shortly!!

 

[pargyle]

I remember the old glass type and what a pile of carp they were, I’ll upgrade shortly!!

Yes the glass ones with a strip of timber down the middle...I still have one from a WBC .. thought was there but glass is perfect for letting heat through and for causing condensation underneath...