I'm experiencing my first panic !!!!

[B Special]

Think I am experiencing my first PANIC of bee keeping !!! As a newbie is it common at this time of year to find dead bees at the floor of the hive ? Noticed many white coloured bee's aswell. What happening here. Also saw the varroa mite in the inspection tray. the weather has really turned with chilly winds, temp drop, rain. Activity has really slowed down.

 

[tonel]

I'm a new beekeeper too but am thinking maybe it could be drone brood being removed from the hive (the white bees you mention)? They will kick out the drones and remove the larvae when they don't feel they need them anymore, maybe the change in weather has started this off. I'm no expert though so might be completely wrong

 

[Erichalfbee]

Are the white bees dead too? Are they fully formed? How many mites are you getting per day on the inspection tray

 

[Cazza]

Are you treating with Apiguard?
When you say white bees, do you mean alive and buzzing ones or dead ones?
Cazza

 

[B Special]

The wind has blown many of them away but this is what greeted me. I have not used any treatments for varroa.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Looks like varroa damage to me. How much varroa are you seeing on your inspection tray?

 

[B Special]

Looks like varroa damage to me. How much varroa are you seeing on your inspection tray?

About a dozen !!!!

 

[aidskywalker]

It looks like your bees are evicting drone brood in the pupae stage. It's nothing to worry about, they probably decided they don't want any more drones taking valuable resources. Let them get on with it and in early September give them an apiguard treatment or other varroa control medication.

 

[Swarm]

Looks like varroa damage to me. How much varroa are you seeing on your inspection tray?

There are some dead, young workers there, what have you seen on the frames? Assuming you have inspected?

 

[B Special]

There are some dead, young workers there, what have you seen on the frames? Assuming you have inspected?

To be very honest, I have not made any inspections due to change in weather conditions in weeks.

 

[Erichalfbee]

These bees have Deformed Wing Virus
I have picked out two, there are more.
I suggest you have a look soonest and get some mite treatment on.

 

[Hivemaker.]

To be very honest, I have not made any inspections due to change in weather conditions in weeks.

Looks like mite damage, also do you know if they have any stores of food?

 

[YorkshireBees]

Looks like mite damage, also do you know if they have any stores of food?

Could be starvation aswell if they have no stores.

 

[kazmcc]

Noticed they had their proboscis out too, which is another sign of varroa damage isn't it? Does that count for unformed bees too?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes.
I think this colony is in some considerable trouble and weather or no it needs opening up and looking at.

 

[Teemore]

Looks like mite damage, also do you know if they have any stores of food?

I agree - make sure they have food then sort out the mites.

 

[beeno]

If the worker brood is heavily infested and possibly dead they will be cleared out by the bees!

 

[Mellifera397]

There ar some dead bees on the photo suffering from Deformed Wing Virus, classic varroa sign. Also that's definitely worker brood that they've pulled out. I would suggest immediate varroa treatment.

MAQS strips if you still have your honey on, if you don't intend to take any honey off the Apiguard or any other type of treatment.

NOT Oxalic acid though!!

Hope this is helpful.

M

 

[B Special]

Thanks for all the feedback. Ordered the varroa treatment and feed them last nite, will do an inspection after work. I have clearly neglected the hive.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Don't beat yourself up, B Special.

I suspect everyone who's been steward of bees for any length of time, has done lots of things they regret later.

For myself, one (!) regular mistake was to have too many frames in - greedy, you see - and so rolling the bees when removing frames. I wince terribly when I think back.

Dusty