Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => DISEASE & PEST CONTROL => Topic started by: joker1656 on June 08, 2009, 10:42:43 pm

Title: Should I be worried?
Post by: joker1656 on June 08, 2009, 10:42:43 pm

I am a newbie.  I purchased 4 packages of bees in April.  One of the packages died almost immediately.  A second is still doing poorly and is in the process of being combined with a swarm that I recently caught.  This second package appears to be queenless, thus the combining, with a laying worker.

Anyway, this hive of bees is making me worried.  I noticed the last time I opened them up a few cells that had some dark goop.  I, at first, thought it was dark pollen that had not been finished.  I took a tooth pick and picked at the goop.  It was just that, a kind of gray/black sludge.  It wasn't ropy, or sticky, just sludge.  What could that be?  There were several cells like this.

The brood that was present was drone brood.  I scraped a cap, or two off and they appeared healthy.  I did not see any sunken cappings, but as I said I am a newbie.  I could have missed them.  I did not see anything else in the hive that gave me any clues.

Could this be AFB?  Or possibly SHB feces?  Should I be concerned, or wait to see if the swarm gets things on track?  The swarm was fairly large and queenright.  I have no pics.  If anyone has any thoughts, I am open to them.  Thanks!

Joker

Title: Re: Should I be worried?
Post by: Kathyp on June 08, 2009, 11:31:36 pm

i have really dark gunk in my hives :-).  it's some kind of pollen that they dragged in. 

Title: Re: Should I be worried?
Post by: Cheryl on June 09, 2009, 01:03:22 am

Do bees ever store propolis in cells, or do they just stick that to surfaces?

Title: Re: Should I be worried?
Post by: Brian D. Bray on June 10, 2009, 12:48:49 am

Quote from: Cheryl on June 09, 2009, 01:03:22 am

Do bees ever store propolis in cells, or do they just stick that to surfaces?

Propolis, the bee's super glue, gets put on pretty much everything in the hive.  I've seen reddish deposits in the cells but have always assumed it was red pollen but it is possilbe that they store it, it's just that during the time of year that the bees need and use it the resource for it is fresh.

Title: Re: Should I be worried?
Post by: joker1656 on June 10, 2009, 08:05:31 pm

Well, I don't think it's pollen.  It could be I suppose, but it was on the bottom of the cell.  It was a slimey dark gray goop.  It was not ropey, but is AFB always ropy, or is it only ropey at certain stages? 

Anyone have any thoughts/suggestions?  It doesn't appear to be widespread through all of the frames, but they only have about three frames drawn. 

Anyway, I'd be happy for any thoughts.  Thanks!