Karins bees test for Acrine and Nosema

[Bcrazy]

Hi Karin,
I am pleased to inform you that both tests were carried out and both showed nil signs of either disease. your bees have the all clear.

PS Finbar your stuff will be done tonite.

 

[Polyanwood]

Thanks BCrazy. Interesting. Why did they dwindle and die then? I guess I could put it down to a failing queen, but why did they not make any queen cells. last year's queen. All other bees at that apiary are fine.

Any ideas anyone??

They were my biggest colony going into Winter. I squashed them into a brood and a half Langstroth. They definielty did not starve. Embarrassingly there was some mouse damage (I thought they were such a big colony no mouse would dare!) In Spring they were small, with queen laying worker brood, but each week there were fewer bees. Last week queen disappeared - but they had shrunk to not more than a couple of fist sized volume of bees, so I finished them off - worrying that they had something that could infect other colonies - and burnt frames.