Is Nosema more of a problem this year?

[DRam]

We have lost 2 out of 7 colonies to what appears to be Nosema this year. Certainly the tell tale signs of Nosema are on the frames and there was plenty of stores, but the two colonies have died out.

This is the 4th year that we have had colonies across the winter and this is the first time that this has happened.

These colonies appeared healthy and strong going into winter. What should, or could, we have done to stop this developing, or has the mild winter made nosema more of a problem.

The hives were additionally insolated when we had a bit of a cold snap around the New Year, which was removed toward the end of February. Could the warm conditions within the hive have made the nosema worse?

Thank you in advance for any helpful advice or suggestions on how to manage this better in the future.

 

[Erichalfbee]

If it is indeed nosema on microscopy then adding thymol to the autumn syrup can be protective

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/what-to-do-about-nosema.702/

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/thymol-recipe-against-nosema-fermentation-of-syrup-feed.6513/

 

[Gilberdyke John]

We have lost 2 out of 7 colonies to what appears to be Nosema this year. Certainly the tell tale signs of Nosema are on the frames and there was plenty of stores, but the two colonies have died out.

This is the 4th year that we have had colonies across the winter and this is the first time that this has happened.

These colonies appeared healthy and strong going into winter. What should, or could, we have done to stop this developing, or has the mild winter made nosema more of a problem.

The hives were additionally insolated when we had a bit of a cold snap around the New Year, which was removed toward the end of February. Could the warm conditions within the hive have made the nosema worse?

Thank you in advance for any helpful advice or suggestions on how to manage this better in the future.

Hivemakers recipe. - Marvellous stuff!

 

[DRam]

Dani,
Thank you for your reply, I'll read through
the links.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The hives were additionally insolated when we had a bit of a cold snap around the New Year, which was removed toward the end of February.

so you made them nice and snug, then from February you let them freeze?
how did you insulate them?

 

[DRam]

We had Kingspan insulation around the hives and in the roof from the point where there was frost on the ground in December. At the end of February we had to move all of the hives to a new apiary and once repositioned it looked like the worst of the cold weather had past, so we didn't put the Kingspan around them again, but left it under the roof.

We hadn't inspected any of the the brood chambers at that point, but all hives had sign of life and were taking fondant and when lifting the hives all seemed to have some weight to them, so we were not concerned about starvation, and indeed that was not the issue.

 

[madasafish]

Association apiary had nosema this year.

I have used Hivemaker's recipe every year in Autumn and since then never seen a case of nosema in my own bees. I also add it to any Spring stimulative feeding.

 

[drex]

As Dani implied above, Nosema can only be diagnosed for definite by microscopy. It may cause dysentery with poo staining in or on the hive, but there are other causes too