Eeek! MAQ strips death rate?

[Pips]

Put in some MAQ strips yesterday and this morning huge like of dead bees outside the hive. 500 maybe? They would have filled a large mug. Is this normal? It was horrid to wake up and see my girls all dead! I did narrow their entrance to prevent robbing to about 5 cm so don't know if this affected it. What should I do?

 

[enrico]

Do not worry....it happens, there will be fewer tomorrow and then the deaths will stop!
Sometimes it happens sometimes it doesn't!
E

 

[Marton]

The pack does say full width opening.

I did that with a polycarbonate sheet in front.

No dead bees.

Mine are on 14*12. I wonder is the extra volume helps?


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[Pete D]

The hives need decent ventilation whilst applying MAQs.
Entrance block out, floor monitoring board out, a decent colony should be able to see the wasps off.

Did 10 hives last year, all 14x12 no issues.
Done 30 this year, no issues, either 14x12 or nationals with supers on.
Use Thymovaar on my Nucs.

 

[psafloyd]

The hives need decent ventilation whilst applying MAQs.
Entrance block out, floor monitoring board out...

...matches for elevation, jumpers for goalposts?

 

[Pete D]

...matches for elevation, jumpers for goalposts?

Not sure what you mean with your reply..................... but No matchsticks !

 

[Swarm]

Pips,
Are there supers on this hive? As long as you have OMF there should be no need to adjust the entrance, in fact I leave the hive as it is when treating but take into account the colony size and the volume of the hive. Any smaller colony with no super gets half a dose, one strip.
These were developed with Langstroth in mind and solid floors too it would appear. Like PeteD, I treated last year and this and I've witnessed no mortalities.

No need to worry though, if you consider the natural daily mortality that you never see.

 

[itma]

The pack does say full width opening.
…

And assumes a solid floor.

 

[Pips]

Thanks everyone. 2 supers on each hive. Have reduced the foam strips I put in to reduce entrance. I feel dreadful, really hope it stops! :-(

 

[Pips]

What is OMF please?

 

[Saffabee]

Hi Pips

Open mesh floor

 

[enrico]

Open mesh floor.....please don't worry pips, did all my hives yesterday, there had a pile of dead bees this morning, two had nothing, this afternoon all the bees cleared from the entrances but dropped on the floor. Some of those who say no deaths do not have hives on home turf so by the time they get back to them there is no trace of dead bees!
Just keep smiling, it is for the best! I found it really hard last year but expected it this year!
E

 

[Hivemaker.]

Just keep smiling, it is for the best! I found it really hard last year but expected it this year!

I agree, i expected it again this year as well, and my expectations are being fulfilled.

 

[Mickyboy]

What is OMF please?

I think it's open mesh floor , someone will tell us if not

 

[Pips]

Yes, our hives have open mesh floors. I really wish I hadn't done it! Have to be honest, haven't done a drop count of varroa as didn't have the floor. Did several drone uncappings and found virtually no varroa. Have been doing the old icing sugar trick which I'm gathering is thought of as fairy dust on here, but nevertheless, very little varroa in drone cells or any visible sightings on bees. Think I've just caused my bees a load of stress for nothing. Again, :-(. I know the thing is to see them as one organism not a collection of individuals but it's really hard to see that number of deaths and not feel bad. I am one that actually did follow your suggestion, Enrico, as in spring when the bees were too cold to get back into the hive, breathed on them till they recovered! I am a complete wuss!

 

[enrico]

Pips, a cupful of bees is nothing in the scheme of things. It is probably less than 0.1 percent of the population of your hive. You will be losing far more bees than that as the hive slims down for the winter. They deal with death daily and are always cleaning our dead bodies. It is distressing but seeing bees with deformed wings is worse, opening the hive and seeing all the bees dead on the floor because they were too weak to deal with varroa is heartbreaking. The dead bees you see are the saints of today that have saved your hive for next year!!!

E

 

[Swarm]

They deal with death daily and are always cleaning our dead bodies. It is distressing but seeing bees with deformed wings is worse, opening the hive and seeing all the bees dead on the floor because they were too weak to deal with varroa is heartbreaking. The dead bees you see are the saints of today that have saved your hive for next year!!!

E

....Erm, ok some weird pastime perhaps?
Very true though, far worse seeing a load of dead bees. Nicely put Enrico, about the saints. I was watching Swallows flitting over a patch of Himalayan Balsam not far from my hives and I was thinking about a few saints then, lol.

 

[Pips]

Thanks everyone, really lovely set of replies, need to think on a bit about future and maybe toughen up a bit I think!!

 

[BeeJayBee]

Pips, a cupful of bees is nothing in the scheme of things.

especially if they turn out to be drones. They get eaten by birds and hedgehogs, so help the local wildlife.

I used MAQS earlier this year and left it three days before going to look. They needed treatment, it would have been worse for them if I'd done nothing. I didn't see any sign of piles of dead bees, so if there had been a mass killing it had been cleared away very quickly.

Have been doing the old icing sugar trick which I'm gathering is thought of as fairy dust on here

Some people use it with care as part of their IPM, and reckon it helps. It's your choice.

 

[Pips]

An update...
Went in to remove the strips today. One hive pretty much got back to normal after 3 days, busy and death rate stopped, other hive stopped bringing out the dead after about 3 days too but became super-quiet. Have to say, thought they had swarmed or were all dead inside. But opened up today and brood box absolutely full in the quiet hive though they were super, super moody! Other hive all good. Didn't do any more that take out strips, didn't inspect or anything as though they had had enough trauma. We'll see. No doubt there are 20 queen cells in each!