Several issues...

[Howsoonisnow]

After inspecting my hives today, I have three questions that I'd appreciate any thoughts on:

1.Several hives had on some frames a pepper pot pattern which I know is never good. I have just watched Ivor Davies on Countryfile and they are similar to his struggling hive. How common is this? Its not chalk brood.
2.Perhaps related to this on one such pepper pot frame, there were a handful of cells that had white seemingly fully developed adult bees that were uncapped and still in their cell (but white - the colour of larvae – so definitely not) that were dead. One I observed had a bee attempting to drag it from its cells.
3.The site vacated by the donor hive that was used to unite with another a few days ago still had returning bees that were congregating. It had another hive a metre away. I thought when they found their hive gone, they migrated to the nearest available?

Thanks

 

[wilderness]

After inspecting my hives today, I have three questions that I'd appreciate any thoughts on:

1.Several hives had on some frames a pepper pot pattern which I know is never good. I have just watched Ivor Davies on Countryfile and they are similar to his struggling hive. How common is this? Its not chalk brood.
2.Perhaps related to this on one such pepper pot frame, there were a handful of cells that had white seemingly fully developed adult bees that were uncapped and still in their cell (but white - the colour of larvae – so definitely not) that were dead. One I observed had a bee attempting to drag it from its cells.
Thanks

EFB - Europen Foul Brood affects open brood.
Sac brood and bald brood might be other possibilities.
Any chance of a photo?

 

[Howsoonisnow]

I'm afraid I'm not organised enough to have a camera to hand.

It maybe bald brood.

I'm not sure of the pepper pot pattern though.

 

[Poly Hive]

On balance it is probably not a disastrous disease. I am playing the odds here.

Pepper pot pattern says poor Queen/ chalky queen.

White thingys suggests Chalk brood, and again re-queen.

Your confused bees will sort them selves out in a few days.

Google is your friend for acronyms. And for many other things too.


PH

 

[Howsoonisnow]

Does anyone know what's causing these uncapped larvae?

Thanks

 

[Bcrazy]

Does anyone know what's causing these uncapped larvae?

Please check for wax moth as this will cause the bees to disregard capping on certain cells.

Mo

 

[Howsoonisnow]

Mo

Having been uncapped, are these larvae then doomed?

I've seen and dispatched wax moth caterpillar on the tops of frames. Is there any where else in particular I can find them in a full hive?

Thanks

 

[MrB]

I am no expert but looks very much like bald brood to me,
if you look at the cells you have marked you can see a raised rim around them suggesting that the capings have been removed by the bees.
As Bcrazy suggests often caused by wax moth (although these do tend to be in straight lines).
Bald brood may also be caused by a genetic trait.

 

[MrB]

Mo

Having been uncapped, are these larvae then doomed?

The brood can emerges normally but is sometimes crippled with deformed wings and legs owing to faecal pellets from the wax moth larvae.

 

[tkwinston4]

Bl***y wax moth are driving me mental at the moment. My poor colony is weak and as quick as i remove the larva the quicker they return. Noticed yesterday that the bees had propolised around the larva nest/cucoon so they couldnt get out. Well done girls

I moved them into a nice clean nuc yesterday, took the roof off this morning to give them some food and a darn moth flew out. I hate them

Apart from stamping up and down on them is there anything else i can do?

I have a nice new queen arriving on friday/saturday from beebreeder which i hope will turn their fortunes around. But in the meantime its the battle of the moth.

 

[roche]

If you use a wasp bait - vinegar, banana skip etc (posted somewhere else on the forum) that will attract wax moth as well as wasps - got few that way last year...

 

[justme]

Mo

Having been uncapped, are these larvae then doomed?

I've seen and dispatched wax moth caterpillar on the tops of frames. Is there any where else in particular I can find them in a full hive?

Thanks

Look for thin trails across the tops of cells, if u find any follow them to the end then tap the surface. Would be useful to have tweezers or something handy to grab them, they usually pop right up. Hope this helps.

 

[Bcrazy]

To help find wax moth larva tap the frames a few times with a hive tool this will shake the larva into movement and you should be able to see the little bugger moving. the bees do not remove the wax capping they don't bother capping it in the beginning.
As someone else mentioned these larva will hatch into normal bees but could have a deformity of some kind so you need to keep a close eye on these bees. I would recommend a through inspection of bees just let them roam around on the face of the frame and study them for any deformities. this will take a time but in the long run it will give you a better understanding of your bees. Good luck.

Mo

 

[Howsoonisnow]

Thanks for all of the replies.

 

[Midland Beek]

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[Midland Beek]

Pupae do sometimes die while still in their cells. They get uncapped and removed by undertaker bees. Varroa can be the culprit.

And the picture does suggest a hint of chalkbrood.

However, that looks like a dead and rotting pupae bottom right. American Foulbrood affects sealed brood, and sunken cappings are usually the give-away sign. This is a situation which you need to watch. Signs of rotting larvae/pupae are bad are are clearly indicative of foulbrood.

 

[DanielSELondon]

You may find this leaflet helpful: https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/index.cfm?sectionid=69

I have the same thing - I believe that my bald brood is caused by wax moth. I am hoping that as that particular colony grows they will be able to better control the wax moth.