Winter losses 2009 -10

[johna]

The bees affected came as a neuc from the local ag. college and were of carnolian origin.I had a second colony with the same symptoms and they have died out this winter despite having a load of feed left in the frames.I think the only way to prevent its spread is to burn the affected hive contents to prevent spread by robbing etc .I don' know if gl,l acetic acid could be used to sanitise the comb but I dont think it's worth the risk.With no treatment for paralysis , destruction as per A F B seems the only answer.Anyone else got thoughts on dealing with the problem.I am already on top of varroa using Oxalic acid and Apivar strips that we obtained a vetinary licence for and imported from France.It's not licenced yet in the uk and is specifically to treat resistant mites.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Seems like apivar is quite widely used now,as most varroa are resistant to other pyrethroid treatments,about 8 years ago resistant mites first appeared in the south west. I have heard there are now reports of resistance to apivar (Amitraz) Some would not put the stuff anywhere near there bee's.

 

[Hombre]

Interestingly, because of the difficulties in obtaining amitraz, I would imagine that a little stockpiling would be normal.

Is it true however, that the shelf life of amitraz is nominally around six months, suggesting that buying in a good stock was perhaps not as wise as at first glance?

I seem to recollect reading about the shelf life only recently, but can't remember quite where.
More than happy to be wrong, but equally wouldn't care for anyone to be led astray by not raising the point for comment from those in the know.

 

[Hivemaker.]

No doubt it has a use by date,all the various strips have,would not think it much good stockpiling any of them,but then i don't use Amitraz,but know plenty who do.
Is the below any help

SHELF LIFE EXTENDED TO TWO YEARS -
Approval has been granted for the extension of the shelf life of Apivar® to two years from the date of manufacture when stored appropriately in unopened satchets.

http://www.apivar.co.nz/

 

[sherwood]

Further losses

When I opened this thread I mentioned that in addition to the 1 loss so far that I was worried about a further 2. Well I have lost them as well. In one case it was a Nuc I was trying to over winter in the second it was a medium sized colony that seems to have become isolated from their food source. They went into winter to one side of the box in retrospect I should have perhaps moved the frames and centralised them so that they had food on both sides of them but it may have made little difference. There was plenty of stores left in the hive as is the case of the Nuc. The nuc was an amalgamation of a small swarm and a caste I had collected together with an old surplus queen I had and was thrown together late in the season with the hope that they would survive and I could requeen in April so I hav not lost much there.

 

[sherwood]

update on previouse post having further examined the lost colony I have found the only brood that was there and of course was dead was drone brood large domed cappings in a cluster, I can only theorise therefore that the Queen had not been properly fertilised and was laying unfertised eggs and that with time and no replacement workers that the colony just dwindled until it was unsustainable.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Sherwood. Sorry to read of your loss. Thankfully my 8 + 1 nuc are still OK but winter still hasn't finished. A couple are a bit light of bees though. Not the ones I expected.

 

[grizzly]

Well thats No2 gone as of today, attributed to Nosema, despite treatment it was too far gone, not enough bees and the Queen not laying.

3 colonies left, 1 Strong, 1 somewhere in the middle, and one very weak nuc being treated for Nosema (no brood still).

A week of warm weather with sunshine would really help right now.
(And a little miracle)

 

[Mike101]

I've also lost two hives in the last couple of days, one of them never got going (was a late supersedure last autumn), the other a bit more of a mystery, it looked ok right up untill the recent cold spell with plenty of flying and pollen going in but now just a handful of bees and a queen left. I'll be running the microscope over them tomorrow.

Looking on the bright side the weather looks much better second half of this week.

 

[tony350i]

Lost two nucs and had a drone laying queen and 3 established hives when I went round and put pollen sub on hives that needed it , still have 22 out of 28 hives and another season has past with out any varroa treatments.

Tony

 

[grizzly]

Sheesh, nuc lost today, went up for third nosema treatment, Queenie is dead.

So, 1 Strong hive left and another which i am still saying 50/50, so thats 3 lost this winter.

Well thats No2 gone as of today, attributed to Nosema, despite treatment it was too far gone, not enough bees and the Queen not laying.

3 colonies left, 1 Strong, 1 somewhere in the middle, and one very weak nuc being treated for Nosema (no brood still).

A week of warm weather with sunshine would really help right now.
(And a little miracle)

 

[Somerford]

sorry to hear it, Grizz

S