- Joined
- Nov 30, 2008
- Messages
- 1,217
- Reaction score
- 113
- Location
- Cyprus and Greece
- Hive Type
- Langstroth
Although I don't like to say it, as it could be taken incorrectly, is that Greek bees are more prone to Nosema than some other types.
My own recent experience
Two queens laying succesfully in nucs for maybe 6 weeks, queens removed and caged, passed from local beek to me. (total journey miles about 20 but the queens will end up in hives about 2 miles from their orignal location)
Next day dequeened donor hives, introduced new queens in cages, week later cages empty, no evidence of a laying queen in either hive, no queens spotted.
Suspect:
a) Bad beekeeping (missed scrawny supersedure queen that is not laying in either hive)
b) The queens have gone from marked and clipped to invisible status and have have gone off lay (no reason as there is plenty of balsam around)
c) Someone stole the queens
d) The workers decided they want to die
e) ?
So how does it spread from bee to bee?
It is a well known fact that old combs are nurseries for both Nosema and foulbrood. Regular comb renewal is a good management practice and a great help in prevention. Using old combs is bad management - ask your bee inspector about this.
Research has clearly shown that early removal of young queens from their mating nucs is a major factor in poor acceptance and increases the chance of supercedure later on. Queens should be left laying in their mating nuc for at least three weeks, two months is a whole lot better, before being sold/introduced into production colonies.
The only thing I can think of is that the old queens pheromone was still there and the bees kill the new queen. Let them be queenless for a few days, cut out the queen cells making them hopelessly queenless then introduce the queen cage.
For foulbrood or nosema to multiply AFAIK it only happens within the bees themselves so to call old combs nurseries is factually incorrect, a depository or repository maybe but I've seen far too many thriving colonies on old black comb that would make the inspector shudder to believe that ageing comb from healthy colonies somehow accumulate pathogens.
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As far I understand the best shield against nosema is good pollen pastures and pollen stores. As you have told in UK, hives have stopped brooding in many cases and again to that, reason is lack of pollen.
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As far I understand the best shield against nosema is good pollen pastures and pollen stores. As you have told in UK, hives have stopped brooding in many cases and again to that, reason is lack of pollen.
Pollen mixture is a source of healthy bees. Honey gives only energy.
...
Well I guess you are going to have to learn the hard way.
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, with an attitude like this, if foulbrood doesn't get you, then Nosema must.
contaminated combs are the vector for infection.
https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/index.cfm?pageid=191
Further reading in the PDF at the bottom of the page.
how is it causing queens to go missing leaving their colonys queenless?
could be my problem, balling!hi has anyone else noticed a lot of queens dissapering and leaving the hive queenless.
i have spoken to a few larger beeks over here and they are saying up to 30% of their hives have gone queenless in the last few weeks.
i have had this happen with a few of mine aswell. anyone else noticing this aswell. or have any insight to whats going on?
i am leaning to supercedure gone wrong but i could be wrong. i know for my own hives the queens are young and in one case only introduced a month ago.
whats seems to be weird is they are leaving the hives queenless implying its the virgin that is actually lost and the old queen killed. or the old queen stops laying and is killed when its to late to make cells.
They just drop dead.
so where are the queencells?
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