Weak hive not feeding and worried

[enrico]

Sadly nothing is cheap these days. You are looking at about £40 from Screwfix.

 

[beebob]

Thanks Eric. We had put in an apivar into both hives middle of August. Didn't suspect varroa for that reason. The hive was queenless for a good while and I had thought lack of nurse bees reason for dry larvae, coupled with suspected poor queen mating during bad weather the problem has just snowballed.

Re training my father who looks after the bees wih me did the local beekeeping course last year. I helped him with the techy bits as it was online but i seen the material. I also have the Haynes Bee Manual and just self learning on YouTube channels like black mountain honey and forums such as this.

 

[ericbeaumont]

local beekeeping course last year ... it was online

Pity, as hands in hives is the quickest route to learning.

Haynes Bee Manual, BMH & Norfolk Honey Company on YT and Dave Cushman's A-Z of Beekeeping will serve you well.

http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/textlinks.html

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It looks like there are some dried shrivelled larvae in some of the cells. The last photo in particular. Could someone with more experience have another look please?

I see little evidence of EFB, just a rapidly dwindling hive hammered by varoosis, I'd just wait until they die out, scrap the frames, scorch the hive and start again in the spring.
Definitely sort out a proactive IPM for varroa next season, I would say the one apivar strip in August was not enough in the first place and Amitraz isn't IMHO the best of treatments.
You need to treat the suriving colonies as a matter of urgency - OAV would be your best bet

 

[beebob]

Thanks for the helpful replies everyone. Really appreciate it.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I see little evidence of EFB, just a rapidly dwindling hive hammered by varoosis, I'd just wait until they die out, scrap the frames, scorch the hive and start again in the spring.
Definitely sort out a proactive IPM for varroa next season, I would say the one apivar strip in August was not enough in the first place and Amitraz isn't IMHO the best of treatments.
You need to treat the suriving colonies as a matter of urgency - OAV would be your best bet

would you say that on the last photo there is chalkbrood then ?

 

[blackcloud]

Or sunlight from behind-you can see the cell walls of the opposite side in some of the cells.

 

[beebob]

Or sunlight from behind-you can see the cell walls of the opposite side in some of the cells.

Yes that's the sunlight

 

[pargyle]

Thanks for the helpful replies everyone. Really appreciate it.

LIsten to Jenkinsbrynmair, I'd value his opinion ... I could not see any signs of EFB - just a very poorly colony as I said originally, almost certainly the result of varroa. Don't panic about EFB ...

 

[pargyle]

Sadly nothing is cheap these days. You are looking at about £40 from Screwfix.

This is the one I use ...just over £20 ... works well.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Half-Mask-PressToCheck-Filters-JSP-BHT0A3-0L5-N00/dp/B00ZCOFHM0

 

[Curly green finger's]

Or sunlight from behind-you can see the cell walls of the opposite side in some of the cells.

Top right corner there is a mummified larvae .

 

[pargyle]

Top right corner there is a mummified larvae .

Possibly one chalky larvae .... but in a colony as weak as this it would not surprise me .. could just have been chilled - it's well the edge of what little brood area there is and there are so few bees it may have starved and left uncapped. It's still white and if it was an EFB infected larvae I'd expect it to be discloured and more gloopy than that or in the early stage twisted up.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Possibly one chalky larvae .... but in a colony as weak as this it would not surprise me .. could just have been chilled - it's well the edge of what little brood area there is and there are so few bees it may have starved and left uncapped. It's still white and if it was an EFB infected larvae I'd expect it to be discloured and more gloopy than that or in the early stage twisted up.

Agreed it is only one larvae @beebob has there been any mummified larvae on the inspection board or at the entrance ?

 

[beebob]

Agreed it is only one larvae @beebob has there been any mummified larvae on the inspection board or at the entrance ?

No. Isn't there a smell off EFB as well? There isn't any smell here.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

would you say that on the last photo there is chalkbrood then ?

View attachment 37792

no

 

[Erichalfbee]

Mummies on the landing board?
Would a weak colony bother cleaning mummies out?

 

[user 819]

One can see plenty of white varroa poo on the cell walls.

 

[beebob]

So, Apivar, abit rubbish? Is it OAV all the way in terms of preventing / treating varroa?

 

[ericbeaumont]

little evidence of EFB

could not see any signs of EFB

Bit frightening when EFB mentioned

Yes, let's put this in perspective before getting all Corporal-Jones about EFB: there are no real visible signs of the disease, Rob, so sleep easy tonight in the knowledge that although the colony has been in trouble for some time and is doomed, much instructive comfort will result from the visit by your SBI.

Welcome it as a chance for you & your Dad to see through SBI eyes, to improve your colony reading skills and file the info. for next season. Beekeeping knowledge will continue to arrive in such a way: ****-up, missed opportunity, disaster, and so it goes, hand-in-hand with high days of big colonies heavy with honey.

Don't forget the Hobnobs and to put the kettle on, and let us know the score when it's all over.

 

[ericbeaumont]

So, Apivar, abit rubbish? Is it OAV all the way in terms of preventing / treating varroa?

No, Apivar is very effective and the least-worst chemical of choice, but repeat use can lead to resistance by varroa. For example, if your source of bees used Apivar for two or three years, I would have used a different treatment which did not use the active ingredient Amitraz. After another couple of years you could use Apivar again, but rotate every two or three years.

Varroa are unable to develop resistance to broad-target soft treatments based on fumigants such as thymol, eucalyptus or camphor, or to oxalic acid. ApiLife Var is accredited for use in organic beekeeping.

OAV is an excellent method but good PPE & the vaporiser can set you back a fair bit, so don't rush to the altar of OA and believe it to be the silver bullet to solve your varroa problems. Plenty use fumigants and have excellent results, some use OA and suffer losses, because it's not the tool or material that ensures success, but timing and thorough application.