Grotty varroa board - disease?

[ellypatt]

I went down and hefted all our hives today, and had a look at the varroa boards. We put in apiguard a week ago.

Most of the boards were pretty clear (see pic 1) but one hive had lots of grot and what looked like a couple of dead wax moth larvae on the board. I have emailed them to the local inspector. Any ideas?

(Have failed to attach pics, will try again later, but should be able to copy and paste the links to see them)

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Ly1E6gApxh4EtqapV98I_2r0a6R345VLCAg9_KRTEoI?feat=email

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/CqyH2RCw2NSjsiIGSXka42r0a6R345VLCAg9_KRTEoI?feat=email

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/dZevgdaLEzZ2SrHtuNJJX2r0a6R345VLCAg9_KRTEoI?feat=email

Many thanks,

Elly

 

[MuswellMetro]

Possibly mold on pollen due to Heavy condesation on the varroa board as the coldest point in the hive

Are you feeding as well? ?2:1 metric ?2:1 imperial

also i think you are rather late with the apiguard as the daytime temp will soon fall below the recommend 15c required by vitabee

 

[region2]

also i think you are rather late with the apiguard as the daytime temp will soon fall below the recommend 15c required by vitabee

Surely if the bees keep the temp in the hive raised then it'll be fine?

R2

 

[ellypatt]

Thanks for the replies. I appreciate I'm a bit late with the apiguard. Our daytime temperatures aren't too low yet fortunately, and forecast is ok. All of the hives are in a sheltered sunny spot and were very active when I went down today.

The reason I'm concerned is because the board is so markedly different from all the other boards which are in the same location and have been managed in the same way (and are nearly clear, as per first pic). It's the watery yellow stuff and the black bits that I don't like the look of - if it's just condensation and a bit of mould then

Am not feeding yet.

 

[drstitson]

pollen, uncapping debris, mould.

is it being robbed?

 

[ellypatt]

pollen, uncapping debris, mould.

is it being robbed?

I don't think so. I watched it for quite a long time today and didn't see anything out of the ordinary, or different in comparison to the other hives. What should I look out for that points to robbing? (I can go back and look again tomorrow).

 

[VEG]

could well be normal hive debris but got wet. Some correx varroa trays do get quite a bit of condensation on them.

 

[Finno]

Surely if the bees keep the temp in the hive raised then it'll be fine?

The bees do not maintain temperature throughout the hive - they maintain temperature in the cluster and the apiguard will be located outside the cluster.

P F

 

[MuswellMetro]

...

Surely if the bees keep the temp in the hive raised then it'll be fine?

R2

it works below 15c but not as well as between 15c to 28c (see vita(europe)'s web site for recomended temps use range....they make the stuff, they should know )...if they cluster then the apiguard doesn't work as well as they cluster over the brood area...that starts around 17c according to Celia Davis but is only a problem once the cluster really develops about 14c daily temp..it is not the core temp of the hive but how active the bees are at spreading the apiguard around...it effectiveness can drop to below 65% lower than12c rather than their predicted 95% at higher temps

if you put it on now then it is going to be November before it comes off...it is a 4 week with tubs, plus one or two without tubs that it is active for ..so about 5th november...rember that date...cold misty and a bit of frost normally around here

Follow VITA's advice if you want to get a high kill rate

i am taking the last of my apiquard off this weekend and it wont be on while HM is making winter bees
Vita

 

[ellypatt]

The seasonal bee inspector wasn't worried by the pics. I am reducing entrance further in case it is robbing. Thanks for the replies. Will get apiguard on more promptly next year.

Elly

 

[Mart_got_hives]

If you're using contact feeders it might be that one's leaked.

 

[Ely]

Just looks like an inspection board that has gone a long time without cleaning to me. Have you left it in the hive all season? I only put mine in for monitoring mite fall.

 

[ellypatt]

Have you left it in the hive all season?

No, I only put it in a week ago, when the apiguard went on.

If you're using contact feeders it might be that one's leaked

Not feeding yet.