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MJBee

Drone Bee
Joined
Dec 4, 2008
Messages
1,812
Reaction score
1
Location
Dordogne 24360 France
Hive Type
Commercial
Number of Hives
16 a mix of Commercial, National, 14 x 12, Dadant and a Warre
With apologies in advance to all those still suffering sub zero temperatures.

The weather here is unbelievable, last week -5C with snow, today +14C snow all gone.

All 11 colonies out and about on cleansing flights, even the mini nuc (a doubledecker Apidea) was active.

I took the opportunity to clear the mouse guards of casualties, only a few in all but one hive. This hive is giving cause for concern, it is the one that refused to expand beyond 3 frames of brood and it had a good cup full of dead bees on the OMF, no sign of fouling but I suspect nosema even though it was fed Hivemakers emulsified thymol syrup in the autumn. Anyone any ideas on how to deal with this colony either now or in the future?
 
You probably won't like this answer but I would hope they peg out.

If they were unable to build beyond three frames in your climate are they really worth having?


PH
 
I agree, I was hoping to get them through the winter and requeen asap next spring.

Would Acetic acid fumigation render the frames safe to use elsewhere or would you bin them?

The bees that are left are very alert, I used a 6" twig to sweep inside the entrance and half a dozen came out like exocets prompting a hasty retreat - No suit or veil - silly boy:leaving:
 
MJBee,

Anyone any ideas on how to deal with this colony either now or in the future?


I think you answered your own Q in post #3:

I was hoping to get them through the winter and requeen asap next spring.

If they don't survive, no real loss (per P H)

If they do, a dose of fumidil B might be a tonic (if it is nosema causing the problem), whether or not you requeen, as the house bees will be re-infecting the larvae while feeding them.

Regards, RAB
 
Maybe worth having a look at a couple of dead bees for Nosema.

I have had a couple of hives in the past that have failed to increase and yet managed to get through winter.

I have in the past given them a new queen in the spring.
Last year I had one that overwintered and the first queen I offered was the same(I think it was due to lack of enough drones around because on the second attempt they went off like a rocket).

Trouble with these sluggish hives is they can often end up with chalkbrood the following spring from my experience if you dont offer a new queen.
 
Maybe worth having a look at a couple of dead bees for Nosema.

My local BKA runs a microscope night in January and they have suggested we all save (or not I suppose) a few bees when treating with oxalic, to look at for nosema.
 
With apologies in advance to all those who are unfortunate enough to have ambient day time temperatures above 10'C.

Here in Yorkshire it's still sub zero. That means that if I have any problem hives then I am in blistfull ignorance! Since there isn't much I can do about it until spring long may it last! :cheers2:

On a serious note, worth checking out bees as suggested above sampling when you OA them MJ. I dosed fumidil in the autumn this year (I had 1 suspect colony - suspect probably because of my lack of ident experience - and dosed all 4 in case). If you follow the instructions you need about 5 ltr of syrup to be consumed per hive. OK for an autum dose but you'd have to be on the ball to get that into them and not cause yourself honey contamination issues come spring.

Q for those with prior experience. Can you concentrate the treatment beyond the recommended dilution? Given treatment is a concentration/duration application I'm unclear (and hence didn't)
 
Can you concentrate the treatment beyond the recommended dilution? Given treatment is a concentration/duration application I'm unclear (and hence didn't)

Yes you could,but the bee's are very unlikely to take the syrup,best way in spring is to mix 2g of fumidil to 1 litre of 50/50 syrup, and spray the bee's on the combs....3 or 4 times, a few days apart.
If they don't have much brood,then add a frame of emerging brood from another hive which is not infected, if poss.
 
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Cheers Hivemaker, I knew there'd be a Geekbeek along at some point, probably like buses a couple more will turn up any time soon.

Thanks, R
 

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