Nosema - Advice

[SteveG]

Morning, just visited home apiary and found one hive with 60 died bees under hive and large amount of poop splatter. see pictures.
all other hives good.

My thoughts are nosema?
Should I move the hive to isolated area?View attachment 35249View attachment 35249
Thanks

View attachment 35249

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

doesn't look like a serious Nosema case to me - what does the entrance look like?

 

[pargyle]

The first thing you need to do is be certain that it is Nosema and not just dysentery ... bees can get dystentery after a prolonged wet winter and the spotting on the outside of the hive and on the frames is symptomatic of this and Nosema. You really need to test a sample of bees. You only need about 30 to test - rather than opening the hive you may be able to trap af few flyers on a day when they are flying.

If it is Nosema there's not a great deal you can do in the UK as Fumidil B is no longer a treatment (and not easy to get hold of anyway). Hivemakers Thymol Syrup recipe (beefed up a bit in the thymol) has had some proven effect .. warmed syrup in the recipe and fed to them (if they will take it down) may be an option at this time of the year - or possibly sprayed into the brood frames if they won't.

Hivemakers recipe is in the stickies section.

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/what-to-do-about-nosema.702/page-3#post-49691

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

You only need about 30 to test - rather than opening the hive you may be able to trap af few flyers on a day when they are flying.

you actually need the fliers for a decent test

 

[SteveG]

you actually need the fliers for a decent test

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

If it was nosema the front would be plastered in it, this is just a rather heavy post confinement squirt so I wouldn't panic too much - just keep an eye on them

 

[Erichalfbee]

With nosema you get the top bars and the inspection tray ( if it’s in) covered too

 

[drex]

Dysentery causes diarrhoea in bees. Nosema can be a cause of Dysentery but not necessarily. NNosema is endemic, it is the degree of infection that is important. Examination by an experienced microscopist ( to judge degree) is only way to determine whether Nosema or not.
Doesn't look too bad to me

 

[ericbeaumont]

My thoughts are nosema?

Sleep easy, Steve, it's quite normal to see dead bees in front of a hive and poo on it at this time of year, so unless you find excessive top bar decoration and a dwindling colony, wait and watch.

As Drex said, only way to ID nosema is by microscope; there are two sorts of nosema - N.apis and N. ceranae, and ceranae has no obvious symptoms. It would be useful experience to find a microscopist at your Association and have them tested; it's not complicated.

Have you looked inside this hive?

 

[Xander]

My 3 frame nuc has something like that around the front and I panicked a little too a couple of weeks ago, a quick check of the top bars put my mind at ease and I fed some thymolated syrup as there were very little stores.
Yesterday the nuc was buzzing with loads of flying bees and lots of pollen coming in so I think I was right to look up the symptoms on this site first before taking any drastic action.

 

[SteveG]

Sleep easy, Steve, it's quite normal to see dead bees in front of a hive and poo on it at this time of year, so unless you find excessive top bar decoration and a dwindling colony, wait and watch.

As Drex said, only way to ID nosema is by microscope; there are two sorts of nosema - N.apis and N. ceranae, and ceranae has no obvious symptoms. It would be useful experience to find a microscopist at your Association and have them tested; it's not complicated.

Have you looked inside this hive?

Thanks, I’m away now until 8th March. Will take a look when back.