Werid strange normal?

[meetballuk]

Yesterday my wife was at alotment were i keep bees, she watched them for a bit and she said they seemed to prevent an ill one from entering the hive then after a bit another bee picked it up and flew off with it!
later she saw another one mid flight carrying another one?

Why do they do this ?

is this normal?

 

[CB008]

I am NOT an expert but I belive that bees get rid of all defective colony members and fly off with them to get them and their ailment as far from their healthy home as possible

 

[meetballuk]

i did have alot die, but most are on floor outside hive.
kool never heard of it

does this imply i have deseased colony?

 

[oliver90owner]

Think predators, security, hygeine. In fact, have a brain storming session and you might come up with some others.

 

[alanf]

later she saw another one mid flight carrying another one?

Why do they do this ?

is this normal?

We had a recent conversation with an RBI. They are seeing a lot of sacbrood this year. The reasoning among the inspectors is that the normal process is for diseased brood to be found and removed away from the hive. With several periods this year when they have been restricted to the hive it has allowed the virus to mature in the larvae and release millions of virus particles into the hive, hence the increased disease burden. An observation rather than formal research. The sacbrood problem is variable and there's not a lot we can do about it.

So, yes it is normal to remove dead or dying diseased individuals from the hive, whether adult or larvae.

 

[meetballuk]

thanks good to know will have look when weather improves. hope just dead not disease