Deformed wing virus? What to do.

[SireeDubs]

Think I have a low level of DWV. Saw about 10 bees (young) in strong colony this morning. Have sugared and will look for varroa drop and also clearer board is in to remove supers tomorrow. Will then start varroa treatment and put in Apilife var strips.

Anything else I should do? Have never been bothered by varroa to much of an extent, but am I correct to assume that if I've seen just a few (no dead outside), that a varroa treatment should keep it under control?

Thanks in advance - just harvesting first ever honey, so am very keen to keep on the right tracks.

 

[Hombre]

Have never been bothered by varroa to much of an exten.

I don't know if you used an autumn treatment last year and/or oxalic acid during the winter, but what you describe suggests a heavy varroa load.

Suggestions, as well as treatments, my personal preference is thymol based and I have no experience of ApiLifeVar and my reading on the product has faded from my memory. When you start feeding, I would recommend that you use a dose of thymol tincture in your syrup. It will give a background of thymol in the hive and mitigates the probability of a heavy nosema load over winter, depending on the amount of tincture used. Don't overdo it or you will possibly pickle your bees

I have to admit that I don't test for varroa, but confidently assume that they are there and take action appropriately.

I didn't note how many colonies you have, before I started typing, but if you are able to spare a frame of emerging brood from another colony, that will help out big time. We are beginning to think about producing winter bees within a cycle or two and so need to ensure that they get the best start that they can in order to come through the winter without as little stress as possible.

Don't delay, do it today. I prefer a three dose thymol based approach (read bulk Apiguard if you will). I divide the total recommended two dose amount into three doses and apply fortnightly. The logic is that it is the initial knock down of each dose that does the bulk of the work and subsequent doses have similar percentage knock down for varroa that have just emerged or about to emerge from the brood cells.

Don't forget to close up the OMF if you use one or all that goodness will fall out the bottom of your hive.

OK, one hive, good luck and don't worry too much.

 

[SireeDubs]

Hombre, thanks so much for taking the time to write such a comprehensive reply. Treatment is underway just as you advise.

Thanks again, and as usual, I have my fingers crossed!

 

[Arfermo]

You have an overload of varroa destructor for certain. Apiguard from local BKA or Wynn Jones best in your case at this time of year and best done immediately in the circs. As said above, the treatment with 2 shallow trays takes 4 weeks. Varroa lives on the capped larvae and emerges with the bee (prefers drone) but then finds another host to live off while mating in the cell with a brother. 2 weeks later another batch of females emerge looking for a male but not finding many as they die in the cells. By then, the 2 cycles will have eradicated most of the phoretic ones. Download a copy of the FERA book let on "Managing Varroa" - essential reading and free - to get the full rundown on this pest.

 

[For want of a better word]

Another option would be to vaporise with Oxallic Acid... that would knock down the phoretic varroa mite load.

Then feed with a 60% sugar solution with ( Hivemakers) thymol mix.
Have seen good results on "shakey bee virus" with garlic/ sugar mix.
Hive clean is also another good herbal remedy....

However you do it get the mite load down!
Good Luck

 

[itma]

Apilife Var is a thymol treatment - like Apiguard but with camphor (and is it eucalyptus?)
The reputation is that the bees beard outside more than with Apiguard.
And you have to ensure that the stuff doesn't contact the plastic that poly hives are made of (it 'melts' the plastic!) Dunno about polycarbonate crown boards - or those plastic frames and foundation. But I wouldn't presume it would be OK.

Any Thymol treatment will taint any honey on the hive.
One of the reasons for the interest in MAQS is that it can be used without tainting any honey work-in-progress.

Treating now does not mean they won't need treating again in mid-winter!



The colony will be weakened by DWV. Their foraging power is reduced and much of the income is wasted on raising crippled bees.
Hence you should be watching out that they don't run short of sugar (honey/syrup...) or protein (pollen). Pay special attention to the stores, and hopefully you will get enough healthy bees for the colony to make it through the winter.

 

[mbc]

You have an overload of varroa destructor for certain. Apiguard from local BKA or Wynn Jones best in your case at this time of year and best done immediately in the circs. As said above, the treatment with 2 shallow trays takes 4 weeks. Varroa lives on the capped larvae and emerges with the bee (prefers drone) but then finds another host to live off while mating in the cell with a brother. 2 weeks later another batch of females emerge looking for a male but not finding many as they die in the cells. By then, the 2 cycles will have eradicated most of the phoretic ones. Download a copy of the FERA book let on "Managing Varroa" - essential reading and free - to get the full rundown on this pest.

Gobbledygook varroa biology there, maybe a re read yourself Arfermo.

 

[greengumbo]

Gobbledygook varroa biology there, maybe a re read yourself Arfermo.

That's what I was thinking.

Adult mated female Varroa climb into cells about to be capped. They then lay ~8 eggs. First egg is male, rest are female. The female daughters mate with their "brother". The male dies and the now mated sisters live on the developing larvae until emergence. Once they emerge they can look for new cells about to be capped immediately - they don't need to "look for males". All phoretic mites are mated females.

Hope that helps

 

[Arfermo]

Basic assumption correct irrespective of your correction which I agree. The FERA booklet I mentioned is available on line but if your local BKA has a disease recognition speaker at some time they often bring hard copies of the FERA booklet I mentioned and others eg SHB, Tropilaelaps, to dish out for free. Easier ro read than trawling through them on line.

 

[pargyle]

That's what I was thinking.

Adult mated female Varroa climb into cells about to be capped. They then lay ~8 eggs. First egg is male, rest are female. The female daughters mate with their "brother". The male dies and the now mated sisters live on the developing larvae until emergence. Once they emerge they can look for new cells about to be capped immediately - they don't need to "look for males". All phoretic mites are mated females.

Hope that helps

Yes ... and not all the 'sisters' survive ... there can be up to 8 or 10 female eggs laid in the cell about to be capped and the original female can stay in the capped cell as well. It appears that only 2 or 3 mites survive per cell to emerge as mated females ... the rest die in the cell along with the male who dies after mating.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Sorry for the bump, but found a DWV bee and this is the closest thread

So, ONE DWV bee dying at the foot of the landing board. Daily varroa drop about 3. Bees on about 15 frames (haven't looked recently). Colony gaining weight rapidly, heavy activity (today is sunny, 12-ish) and some pollen going in. Insulated poly hive.

IS ACTION NEEDED, PLEASE?

I am THINKING of another round of Apiguard since now I would welcome a brood break and cold temps are not in the forecast but do not want to over-react.

<ADD>But maybe a better plan is denial; tell myself she was a robber or a wasp victim, although I really do not think so. She was discoloured, hairless (still, could be an old forager) and the wings were stunted not broken. I put her out of her misery, so no pic, unfortunately. i.e., leave well alone and hope for the best is an entirely welcome answer...</ADD>

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Now too late for apiguard to be effective. Your natural mite drop (according to beebase) is at a safe level. Not much really you can do but ensure you give OA mid winter and hope this was a one-off

 

[VEG]

One bee does not equal DWV. give us some more info on what if any treatments you used.


Craig

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

One bee does not equal DWV. give us some more info on what if any treatments you used.


Craig

Low mite drops all year, like many. Apiguard on 14Sep13; 1st tray taken by 21Sep13 with almost no drop (<1per day). Did not add second following negative rolling of 300 bees in icing sugar on basis that it is IPM not IPElimination.

 

[VEG]

You are supposed to do the full 4 week treatment of apiguard otherwise there is no point, as you don't get all/most of the mites.


Craig

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

You are supposed to do the full 4 week treatment of apiguard otherwise there is no point, as you don't get all/most of the mites.


Craig

Agree, so there is a mite load, as there is in all colonies, but I took the view that it is tolerable. The question is whether a possibly-DWV bee automatically changes that assessment.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

You are supposed to do the full 4 week treatment of apiguard otherwise there is no point, as you don't get all/most of the mites.


Craig

You just hit the phoretic mites on the first dose - there's loads of the little bleeders growing and mating in capped brood and it's the second tray that gets these on emergence (rolling a few bees in icing sugar, flour ,novelty glitter or the midwinter snow or whatever isn't going to tell you anything)
There's been a lot of naivety displayed on the forum this year with regards vsarroa treatment and unfortunately it's the newbies that get caught out by it.
I have always found I get a much heavier mite drop on the second tray than the first and this year with mite drops being reasonably I ensured i did the full treatment thus knocking varroa right back for the winter thus giving them an even slower build up next year.
I think quite a few people are going to get caught out early next year after giving the varroa a whole autumn and winter to slowly (and exponentially) build up then a population explosion in the spring build up.
Diatribe over, this won't help TTLTB. My advice is don't panic as Veg says - one deformed wing doesn't make an epidemic

 

[VEG]

You need to know if the wings were chewed/worn out or actually deformed before making a judgement. I bet you do the full treatment next time


Craig

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Thanks, all. I have to run for now (Tapatalk dead...) Really useful; appreciate it.

Next year - G^d willing - I will have more than one colony so will not have to sweat the brood break v varroa load quite so hard.

JBM, your point about rolling after a treatment is very well taken. Doh. I'll put the board in and contemplate a winter oxalic, which I had been hoping to avoid.

 

[REDWOOD]

Thanks, all. I have to run for now (Tapatalk dead...) Really useful; appreciate it.

Next year - G^d willing - I will have more than one colony so will not have to sweat the brood break v varroa load quite so hard.

JBM, your point about rolling after a treatment is very well taken. Doh. I'll put the board in and contemplate a winter oxalic, which I had been hoping to avoid.

Please don't contemplate just do it otherwise 1 DWV will become become 100s and the start of a collapsing colony by spring, remember that 80% of varroa is under the cappings munching at your baby bees