Dysentry in bees

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tobbias88

New Bee
Joined
Sep 7, 2011
Messages
21
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Location
Omagh N. Ireland
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
4
I've been feeding bees Ambrosia since the weather is still cold & windy.

Yesterday I noticed lots of bloody fecal smears around the entrance.
Is this dysentry? Is it fatal to the entire hive?
Is there anything I can do? Some are flying but I expect they will all get infected. Never had this before. And just at the end of winter.
 
It is not clear whether you have been feeding Ambrosia fondant or syrup. If syrup, it's way too cold and could be the cause of the upset. As could eating fermenting stores in the hive.

There are several threads on this in the last few days. Dysentery is not a problem outside the hive if dashing out on cleansing flights, but can spread other bugs inside the hive like Nosema.

Your use of the word "bloody" is interesting. Please explain what you mean.
 
I was told syrup was easier to digest since no 'roughage' in it?
The smears are reddish brown so I assumed blood.

Should I remove syrop feeders?
 
reddish brown is probably normal bee faeces.
It is too cold for feeding syrup, especially if you have it above the crownboard, but I would not even put in a frame feeder at present.

If they need feeding then fondant is the way to go, until it gets a bit warmer
 
they already had fondant but I thought it was finished.

Friend says it could be just normal pooh since they can't do cleansing flights.

I live in hope.
 
I was told syrup was easier to digest since no 'roughage' in it?

Since when has fondant contained roughage, or have I been missing something all these years??? Sounds like a major old wives talw to me but I am happy to be corrected.
Cazza
 
I was told syrup was easier to digest since no 'roughage' in it?
The smears are reddish brown so I assumed blood.
To supplement the information in your books, here is some (US) information about feeding http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfeeding.htm and some from UK http://www.edinburghbeekeepers.org.uk/winter_feeds.html

Some, admittedly fairly basic, information about a bee's digestive system http://getbuzzingaboutbees.com/honey-bee/honey-bee-digestive-system-alimentary-system
 
Hi

Its not fondant that contains roughage but honey, honey contains pollen grains and they are coated with a husk. This husk is not digested and passed in poo, i am sure it was Canadian research that showed bees wintering better on syrup than honey. Syrup being pure energy and no waste products for the bees body to process, also meaning less loo breaks in severe weather.

Ian
 

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