Perished Colony

[beepig]

Why don't you get the bees you found on the frames tested for nosema?
Your local association should help.
Meanwhile pop the frames somewhere cool and dry, a shed will do.
Wait for your result and take it from there.

Good idea thankyou

 

[Jack Straw]

Checking for Nosema

I have also lost a colony this year. There were some fecal deposits inside but only a limited amount

My understanding is that this would not be from a healthy bee and suggests either nosema or dysentery. If the colony had nosema to any level then I need to acetic acid the floor, crown board and boxes and sterilise or destroy the nosema spores throughout including the frames whereas if it is dysentery then I will need to clean but to a lower level

I do not have the time or equipment at the moment to attempt identifying nosema within my bees now, is there a lab I can send a selection of my dead bees to to have this done for me
Thanks

 

[For want of a better word]

You do not give your location, but your local BBKA association will have either a dedicated microscopist or a recommendation.
Hope this helps

Yeghes da

 

[For want of a better word]

BUT it seems it was!

Yeghes da[/
Sorry but there is no evidence to support this statement currently. and not terribly helpful

Bee diseases can catch even the experienced out!

I treat for Varroa with Apiguard, and follow with 2;1 Autumn feed laced with Thymol ( search Hivemaker's Recipe) This medication can guard against Nosema

Small colonies going into winter can fail to make it through for numerous reasons.

If I get a "dead out" I remove all the frames and put them through the wax steamer ( removes valuable wax and steralises frames)

Wooden broods, floors crownboards are flamed and or soaked in a steralising solution ( Lye) washing soda or caustic soda ( Nasty stuff wear protection)
then soaked in 5% bleach ( thick) solution ,,, this will do for pollu hives as well.

I am pleased to see you are taking note and action in bio security... you seem to be on the right track
May you have a good beekeeping season.

Yeghes da

 

[peteinwilts]

I have no doubt there will be a number of failed colonys over winter. Everyone suffers with dead colonys, although many don't like to talk about them.

'Early' feeding filling up the brood frames with stores, and a warm autumn, and the bees run out of laying room, and they are off.

The virgin then does not get mated properly, does not come back from the mating flight, or she fails completely and the bees are left with no queen.

A cold snap, and the QC may not even hatch, or she dies quite quickly.

Small clusters of dead bees is often the result of a queenless colony (for whatever reason)

 

[Jack Straw]

Thanks for your reply icanhopit

How long do you leave the frames in the wax steamer?
In your opinion is steaming frames sufficient to kill nosema spores?
What strength do you make up your caustic soda and how long do you leave the boxes to soak in it

Apart from any that suffer the really nasty diseases (EFB/AFB) do you treat all of your winter dead-outs the same way. If so there seems little benefit in knowing whether mine had dysentery or nosema, I might as well just get on with cleaning up the equipment ready for the spring

Thanks

 

[MuswellMetro]

by minimul numbers what do you mean

 

[drex]

then soaked in 5% bleach ( thick) solution ,,, this will do for pollu hives as well.

I am pleased to see you are taking note and action in bio security... you seem to be on the right track
May you have a good beekeeping season.

Yeghes da

It should be a 0.5% solution of hypochlorite. Most bleach is 3-5 % solution of hypochlorite. So dilute accordingly.

 

[For want of a better word]

Thanks for your reply icanhopit

How long do you leave the frames in the wax steamer?
In your opinion is steaming frames sufficient to kill nosema spores?
What strength do you make up your caustic soda and how long do you leave the boxes to soak in it

Apart from any that suffer the really nasty diseases (EFB/AFB) do you treat all of your winter dead-outs the same way. If so there seems little benefit in knowing whether mine had dysentery or nosema, I might as well just get on with cleaning up the equipment ready for the spring

Thanks

30 minutes usually gets all the wax out... then they go into the lye and 0.5% bleach solution ready for reuse.

Thanks for correction drex​

AFB ( dread) think I would have a big bonfire and have to start over!

EFB local hotspot seems to have disappeared with the bad practice of one bad beekeeper adopting better bio security... he may have moved or given up? ( although 20 miles away and across the great grey green greasy Tamar river all set about with social housing).... to close for comfort.

Good practice is to treat every bit of kit as if it was a possible source of infection ( including your boots!)

Yeghes da