Is this a disease?

[thundercat]

I was cleaning out the dead bees in the hive, and I noticed what looks like a fungal disease. It was only on one or two bees of the thousand or so that I scooped out. Does anyone recognize it from the attached picture.

The symptoms are a white growth that seems to be coming out of the top of the body segments.

Thanks in advance

 

[victor meldrew]

Looks like the decomposition of the soft tissues to me !
I have seen this before and after removal have never experienced anything untoward happening to colony once springtime activity occurs .

John W.

 

[Hombre]

Compost has to start somewhere. Obviously not freshly dead and a little damp.

 

[Bcrazy]

Hi thundercat,
What was the condition of the interior of the hive and more importantly the frames that were holding the bees at one time? Was there any evidence of wet or dampness what was the condition of the wax on the frames? was there any mold or decomposition of the wax /stores showing on the frames.
My initial guess would bee cold and dampness that caused the mold to grow on the dead bees, did the interior of the hive smell of dampness and decaying bees?

Sorry about the loss, another thought was ventilation was it an OMF or solid floor?

Pick yourself up and start again ensuring it does not happen again. Good luck.

Mo

 

[Moggs]

Hi TC

Have you treated with oxalic recently? Residue on direct-hit bee? Ahhhhh.

By the way, are you a motorcyclist?

 

[drstitson]

i understood him to mean these were dead bees off the floor of a viable hive NOT a loss.

looks like normal decomposition - presume if you have thousands of dead you haven't cleaned out yet this winter so the bees in question may well have been sitting in the damp for weeks/months.

as stated above: composting in action.

 

[BobsBees]

Hi Thundercat,
Not sure if all the bees we see is the Total number of dead bees?
From my past observations the proboscis when extended as is shown in Pic sometimes indicates starvation.
Will have a good look next time i see a large number of dead girls inside the hive, anyone else got the same thoughts?
Bob

 

[thundercat]

Healthy Bees

I hefted the hive, and there is plenty of food left. Also, when I lifted the crown board, there were plenty of active bees, and the hive smells of freshly uncapped honey. The crown board was not damp, but the roof was.

The picture you see is what I scooped out after removing the mouse guard. I don't like the one we're using (metal with two rows of holes) as I can see the bees struggling to remove the dead bees [which is why I removed the guard]. I am thinking of altering an entrance reducer (using a router to cut a groove) and replace that guard.