Uncapping after Apiguard

[⁸Jo Hewison]

Hello - I treated my colonies with Apiguard two days ago, and removed the mite inspection board this morning. I was somwhat taken aback to find a fairly large quantity of cappings on the varroa board under the two strongest hives. I didn't want to do a full inspection, as I'd done a fair bit of management two days ago. Should I be concerned?

 

[Parsonage Bees]

"Two strongest hives" ?
I'm thinking there could be some robbing and the cappings are caused by the robbers breaking up the comb. Any sign of wasps getting in freely? Any sign of fights between bees at the entrance?

Not sure how you would tell if other hives are getting in freely to rob, once the fight has been lost. ?

 

[⁸Jo Hewison]

I've restricted the entrances, and there doesn't seem to be any fighting going on. Wasps are about (have wasp traps in place) but don't think they're getting in. Could they just be uncapping drone cells?

 

[Parsonage Bees]

I've restricted the entrances, and there doesn't seem to be any fighting going on. Wasps are about (have wasp traps in place) but don't think they're getting in. Could they just be uncapping drone cells?

They could be uncapping drones . . .. . or worker cells. Don't think I've ever seen an excessive amount of cappings from this. Are you guessing that they may be pulling out the drone brood as it is late in the season? You'd see them carrying away the pupae. Could just be a lot of worker brood emerging?

If they were big and strong when you put on the Apiguard and you've reduced the entrance they should be fine. If it is robbing, the pressure will reduce when the ivy starts to flower, probably in the next week or so.

 

[JamezF]

They could be uncapping drones . . .. . or worker cells. Don't think I've ever seen an excessive amount of cappings from this. Are you guessing that they may be pulling out the drone brood as it is late in the season? You'd see them carrying away the pupae. Could just be a lot of worker brood emerging?

If they are uncapping pupae then perhaps it's down to reduced levels of forage coming in and they're eating the larvae? I believe that can happen before the cells are capped, but I don't know if it happens afterwards.

James

 

[steve1958]

I would check that they have sufficient stores.
You won't know unless you look

 

[Eyeman]

I would check that they have sufficient stores.
You won't know unless you look

You could heft them first

 

[steve1958]

You could heft them first

I think Jo is a fairly new beekeeper. So unlikely to know what the weight should feel like.

 

[⁸Jo Hewison]

If they are uncapping pupae then perhaps it's down to reduced levels of forage coming in and they're eating the larvae? I believe that can happen before the cells are capped, but I don't know if it happens afterwards.

James

That is slightly scarey,James! Smacks of cannibalism! They have loads of stores, but there were just a few small larvae in the cappings.

 

[JamezF]

That is slightly scarey,James! Smacks of cannibalism!

Well it is, I guess There's a lot of work gone into feeding a larva though, so if they're reducing numbers because insufficient food is coming in (which they do) it would be a waste to just throw the carcasses out of the entrance. It might seem ghoulish to us, but quite a few animals will kill and eat their own young if times get hard. From some points of view it's just the efficient thing to do.

There are other times when it happens in honey bee colonies too. If the queen lays multiple eggs per cell (sometimes happens when she's just starting to lay) the workers may well eat them. Same for eggs laid by workers as far as I'm aware, at least as long as the colony is queenright. Occasionally it's possible to get a diploid drone egg (drones are normally haploid) and I've read that the workers will eat the larva once it hatches because at that point they somehow become aware that it's "not right".

James

 

[Parsonage Bees]

It's impressive that their digestion can handle something completely different from the usual bee bread and nectar when the need arises. Even an adult wasp doesn't eat the prey (ie. the meat) that it collects. They feed it to their larvae.
(not done any BBKA modules or read widely so it's probably widely know)

 

[JamezF]

(not done any BBKA modules or read widely so it's probably widely know)

Honestly, I'd not be surprised if it weren't that widely-known. It's not something I've ever heard discussed at my local BKA and other than reading about it here I think the only other place I've seen it mentioned is in books I've read. I imagine Celia Davis and a few other authors might talk about it. David Evans might well mention it too, come to think of it. Otherwise people seem to me to be quite unaware that it goes on.

James

 

[Superlativesoul]

Could it be the bees hygienic cleaning of the hive removing varroa from brood ?
John

 

[⁸Jo Hewison]

I think Jo is a fairly new beekeeper. So unlikely to know what the weight should feel like.

I suppose its all comparative Steve- have had bees for the last 40 years, but I've found out they are bees , and always have something up their sleeve to surprise us !

 

[⁸Jo Hewison]

Could it be the bees hygienic cleaning of the hive removing varroa from brood ?
John

I'm hoping that's all it was , but I've never seen such heavy uncapping before.

 

[ericbeaumont]

I'm hoping that's all it was , but I've never seen such heavy uncapping before.

Time to take a look, Jo. Robbing most likely, but could be an early mouse.

Should I be concerned?

Yes.

 

[steve1958]

I suppose its all comparative Steve- have had bees for the last 40 years,l

Sorry Jo. I thought you were a new bee.