"K" Wing

[Bee Sting]

This is my 3rd season now and I was feeling quite proud about getting my 4 hives all safely over wintered, I've got 3 strong colonies which are expanding fast and I've just supered them today, the 4th colony was from a caste late last summer, but I think it will be ok, it has brood and stores and a laying queen.

My problem is that after going through all 4 hives quickly today I have noticed a few bees in each hive with "K" wing deformation

Is this Acarine and if so, how do i treat it ?

 

[Midland Beek]

Deformed Wing Virus is pretty much as the name implies.

'K' wing is attributable to acarine, as you more or less state.

I think the thinking with acarine is that some strains of bee are more resistant than others, and, in any case, the parasite is very widely spread. It is perhaps not the type of parasite infestation that can be 'treated' by the beekeeper.

 

[plumber]

have heard of three treatments

Grease patties

Menthol

Formic acid treatment

 

[Hivemaker.]

Not had any problems with acarine since the arrival of varroa,the treatments seem to of killed them,especially formic,which kills them fast. But the K wing could also be caused by a virus such as paralysis virus.

 

[BKF Admin]

Bee sting,why dont you give your bee inspector a bell and ask him to take a look/a few samples.

 

[Polyanwood]

Mine all had k wing when they were poisoned. Bee inspector said it was the poison they use to kill wasps when he tested them.

 

[Midland Beek]

Not had any problems with acarine since the arrival of varroa,the treatments seem to of killed them,especially formic,which kills them fast. But the K wing could also be caused by a virus such as paralysis virus.

I guess fluvalinate, as in Apistan/Bayvarol, may have acted as a control for acarine. Perhaps now that no one bothers much with Apistan/Bayvarol acarine may re-emerge.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Thymol also appears to kill acarine ie (apiguard),last time i used anything with fluvalinate was in 2001,still not had any acarine problems as in pre varroa days .