What is this?

[Black Comb]

See attached photos.

Background is 5 frame nuc obtained from a local source 24.6.10.
Progressed OK and fed well early aug, last inspction 15.8.10 when it had 4 frames of stores and 2.5 of brood.
Today has 3 frames of brood and 2 of stores.
Temperament OK.
Currently having Autumn thymol treatment.


The rear side of the frame directly behind this contains brood.


Is this wax moth damage?

 

[Black Comb]

Just to say this is one of the frames supplied with the nuc.
I plan to shook swarm these into Langstroth in the spring.

 

[Mike a]

You've heard of crop circles? You've been waxed circled.


I'd say the frame was next to a ventilation hole in a cortex nuc. Not an ideal container long term for a colony but that is my best guess.

 

[Black Comb]

The nuc came from the association and I'm pretty sure they use only wood.

It hasn't shown up in any previous inspections, only today's.

I've had it in a full size national wooden brood box since arrival.

There were a lot of wax droppings on the varroa board, as you get when they eat the honey and the cappings drop, but more of them.

 

[RoofTops]

I plan to shook swarm these into Langstroth in the spring.

If they live that long. It looks as if the foundation has not been drawn out for some reason but if this wasn't on the frame the last time you inspected then it looks like the bees have cut out a lot of cells for some reason.

There is at least one bee with a "K" wing in two pictures. May be the same bee but more interesting is there is a lot of spotty brood. What is in the empty cells between the sealed cells? Has the queen laid them up or is it chalk brood or something else.

 

[Black Comb]

There is some chalk brood in this hive (it came with some) but worse still a lot of varroa.
After 2 weeks of thymol count today was 13 in 24 hours.
The laying up seems to be intermittent, but I put that down to thymol.

This foundation was fully drawn and it's definitely been eaten.

I'll go back tomorrow and have a very good look in those cells.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

In the 2 months you have had them they do not sound from your notes to have progressed and developed very well.

Also that frame/wax looks very old and and dirty.

 

[Black Comb]

Yes they kindly gave me some old frames with the nuc.

Re. progression, at first OK, then tailed off towards end of July which I put down to a shortage of food. Then after feeding onto Thymol which again could have slowed things down.

 

[Midland Beek]

That is not worth worrying about. Bees are very disinclined to draw wax late in the season.

 

[akapparker]

If they live that long. It looks as if the foundation has not been drawn out for some reason but if this wasn't on the frame the last time you inspected then it looks like the bees have cut out a lot of cells for some reason.

There is at least one bee with a "K" wing in two pictures. May be the same bee but more interesting is there is a lot of spotty brood. What is in the empty cells between the sealed cells? Has the queen laid them up or is it chalk brood or something else.

What is 'K' Wing?

 

[victor meldrew]

Bees have 4 wings arranged in a pair each side configuration , each pair is joined to form a single flying surface . The hinge is a hook and eye arrangement which can become unhooked ,creating the appearance of a letter K shaped wing !!.
Weakness caused by various pathogens manifests it's in this way !

John Wilklinson

 

[akapparker]

Thanks. Everyday is a school day!

 

[gavin]

You've been waxed circled.

Brilliant!

Any chance that a mouse was in - any droppings with the (largish) crumbs of wax?

G.

 

[RoofTops]

What is 'K' Wing?

Look at the first picture at about 9 o'clock to the circular "crop circle" and you will see a bee with its underwing sticking out. The same can be seen in the second picture, half way down on the left. Probably the same bee.

Historically, K Wing is associated with acarine - the tracheal mite, but this is rare now, at least in most of the UK although it is common in some parts Ireland I understand. More likely in this case it is due to a virus but whatever the cause it is not normal although one bee showing the symptoms is probably not cause for panic.

The spotty brood is of more concern but might simply due to the age of the comb.

 

[kazmcc]

Could something have melted it somehow? The way it is sunken looks very neat, not like it's been chewed....do you know what I mean?

I'm asking everyone, if the bees took it apart themselves for some reason, would the cells on the edge look so neat? Like half a melted cell if you see what I'm saying.

 

[Queens59]

Just to compare I collected a 5 frame nuc 2 days later than you...I now have a full WBC BB - 6-7 frames brood and stores around the eggs, plus 3 frames full stores and 1/2 an entire super of stores. Not doing a 'mine are better than yours' but comparing progress in a similar time frame...

 

[Black Comb]

Yes the thing has not progressed as expected.
Mind you, the weather up here in July was awful and I had to feed all colonies at the end of the month.

 

[keith pierce]

that was a frame that was opposite a batch of drone brood and the bees had to chew back the wax to allow the extra size of the expanding drone brood.
the orininal foundation might not of been sitting straight in the frame and had a bit of a buckel in it

 

[Black Comb]

Well inspected again today.
Although not many brood frames there a lots of bees - it was up to 5 frames of brood mid-July.

The queen has laid up in most of the frames around this area (answering Rooftops question)

the facing frame is full of nectar - it was noticeable that this frames contains almost double depth bees gorging the nectar - I only smoked lightly but it still has an effect.

Timeline - this has only occurred since I administered thymol - on the FAQ Apiguard page (I used half a sachet on this colony as I had some to use up) it says if they start eating their own brood stop using it. Not sure if they did this but for Vita to have put this in the sheet then it mus have happened in testing.

No sing of mice or any other pest in the hive. Floor was nice and clean.

I'll continue monitoring and see what happens. The comb is pretty black and well used so this frame will be moved to the edge asap.

 

[buzz lightyear]

Ive had this "bald" comb. It was a mouse. The bees took an age to repair, they need heat, something lacking at the moment.
Regards, Dave