White Varroa.

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Never presume anything!
No idea what the weather has been like in your area but, besides a couple of nights, we have had very mild / warm weather so far this Autumn and it wouldn't surprise me in the least to find brood in any of my colonies.

That is one of the downside of fora such as this one - we sit here reading how someone is having a wonderful/terrible time with swarming/starving/bumber harvests etc and wonder why our bees aren't doing the same, then you realise there's a wee bit of difference between London/Llanelli, Aberdeen/Aberystwyth Helford/Helsinki etc, not to mention of the occasional reports by some of an exceptional clutch of fairies swarming in her compost heap this year with is causing problems with the spiral aloes flowering

 

[Roola]

Never presume anything!
No idea what the weather has been like in your area but, besides a couple of nights, we have had very mild / warm weather so far this Autumn and it wouldn't surprise me in the least to find brood in any of my colonies.

I agree. My inspection board tells me I still have quite a lot of bees emerging in a fair few of my colonies.

 

[Hawklord]

I presumed the Queen had stopped laying ready for winter, obviously she has not or was laying later than normal, if i knew she was still laying i would have gassed them at 5 day intervals.
What is the latest in the year Col that this strain of Queen lay..

All mine were broodless about 6 weeks ago. I've had a few reports from others in the area that there was brood within the last 2 weeks. It could be good to have some fresh bees going into Winter, but it could be bad if they eat more stores.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

we have had very mild / warm weather so far this Autumn and it wouldn't surprise me in the least to find brood in any of my colonies.

Agreed.

 

[Thymallus]

Varroa mite reproductive biology...

http://articles.extension.org/pages/65450/varroa-mite-reproductive-biology#.VkpG8r9GTYh

Nice timelapse video of life cycle of bee larvae and varroa breeding inside a developing embryo on U-tube. LINK.
Well worth the 10 minutes.

 

[B+.]

Well worth the 10 minutes.

I thought so too (see post #6)

 

[Thymallus]

I thought so too (see post #6)

Never got that far before posting.
Never hurts to repeat things either.

 

[B+.]

Never hurts to repeat things either.

It seems so.
See HM's post 5 & 9

 

[Millet]

Rather than start another thread i will add to this thread.

The weather has been vile here as usual for this time of the year, snow / howling NE winds / -2 frosts and so on, today however was mild with the odd bee flying so i pulled the inspection tray out that i had left in from the last visit which revealed quite a lot of varroa in one area, the area in question is at the front of the hive around (facing south) 3/4 frames towards the center, they was also what looked like wax dotted about the same area with the rest of the inspection board being totally clear, could this be where the bees are clustering or is something else happening.
Thanks
Steve.

P.s i gassed them again to be on the safe side.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Emerging brood?
What colour is the wax?

 

[Millet]

Emerging brood?
What colour is the wax?

The wax is the same colour as capped brood wax but it has me confused as the brood has always been in the center part of the brood box, never towards the front, they was a fair amount of varroa for such a small area over the period from my last inspection so i may have to gas them again if it is emerging brood this late on. ? .

 

[Erichalfbee]

Are the hives poly or wood?
My poly hives have brood towards the front

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Emerging brood?

it has me confused as the brood has always been in the center part of the brood box, never towards the front,

You will tend to find that as the colony beds down for winter they settle into the natural order of stores to the back of the hive and brood/cluster to the font (until they start consuming the stores that is) I find most of my colonies do this.
as for 'gassing' them again - give them some peace and stop counting mites. constant sublimation when they are trying to settle down for winter can't be good for them. as I said before, anyone who tells you to expect no mites after treatment is a fool. Leave them in peace now - give them a zap in the new year then leave them alone to build up.

 

[Millet]

Are the hives poly or wood?
My poly hives have brood towards the front

Standard national insulated all around.. good style,, lol

 

[Millet]

You will tend to find that as the colony beds down for winter they settle into the natural order of stores to the back of the hive and brood/cluster to the font (until they start consuming the stores that is) I find most of my colonies do this.
as for 'gassing' them again - give them some peace and stop counting mites. constant sublimation when they are trying to settle down for winter can't be good for them. as I said before, anyone who tells you to expect no mites after treatment is a fool. Leave them in peace now - give them a zap in the new year then leave them alone to build up.

Thankyou very much for that, i do listen and take on board what you say even if it seems that i don't, thankyou again and i will leave well alone till next month..