Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => DOWN UNDER BEEKEEPING => Topic started by: Backyard bees on September 29, 2020, 10:59:48 pm
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Hi all,
Twice now after doing a hive inspection I have noticed the next day piles of dead bees out the front of the hive. The bees appear to be young brood that have been thrown out. The first time it happened was a couple of weeks ago and I thought it was because the weather was too cold and I had the hive open too long ( probably ten to fifteen minutes). The same thing happened on Monday, I inspected again to see if they were ready for a super and that afternoon and the next day, there was a pile of dead brood out the front. I suspect it was probably too cold again, about 22 degrees. I was concerned about chalk brood, but during my second inspection on Monday, there was no sign of it whatsoever and there was plenty of bees and brood.
I only have one hive and although I have had bees before, this is the first hive I have had for a long time. The bees are still very active and it appears to be a strong colony. Any advice would be appreciated.
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Hi BYB
Would you have a close up of the brood?
Cheers
Mark
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Hi Mark,
I have been trying for the last half hour, but I can?t add another photo. I?m not even sure how I managed to add the first one.
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Often, due to PMS, piles of dead brood, mid maturity pupae can be pulled and tossed. Timing tends to coincide with the 2 to 3 week brood cycle. If you have not checked the varroa mite level in the hive, it is strongly suggested you do so.
From the description and the vague picture, from here it looks like the hive is crashing. Soon there will be few bees in the hive at all.
Imho
Hope that helps!
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I?m pretty sure his mite level will be 0.000000, nil, nada,none.
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I?m pretty sure his mite level will be 0.000000, nil, nada,none.
That is an interesting proclamation Burb. What is you reasoning. Educate me please.
Edit, nevermind now I see this is the downunder heading. I did not look at the heading when I responded I was at the bottom of the site and noticed the latest post. Being you are in the land of oz your country has no mites. Good for you! :oops: :grin:
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J hope he hasnt got varoa mite i have seen what the kiwis have to do as they have it there .
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Sorry for being a smart Alec Ben, but I?m glad you worked it out. It?s hard to tell from the fuzzy photo, but given the time of year I?m thinking it looks like chalk brood mummies.
Bruce.
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Sorry for being a smart Alec Ben, but I?m glad you worked it out. It?s hard to tell from the fuzzy photo, but given the time of year I?m thinking it looks like chalk brood mummies.
Bruce.
Thanks Bruce, really I did not take it as you were being a smart Alec, I took it at face value and was thinking this fellow is mighty confident in his answer, maybe he knows something I do not, I need to know what it is, therefore my reply. Now you did indeed educate me. Thanks for your reply on your Analysis of the problem. You may very well be right.
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J hope he hasnt got varoa mite i have seen what the kiwis have to do as they have it there .
Crispy I do not think you have to worry about varroa as the last I heard Varroa Destructor has not penetrated you shores? I hope this is a problem you never have to deal with. I wish we did not have Varroa here in North America.
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Sacbrood?
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Be grateful, blessed, if no varroa there ... YET
Clarify for us please. Are you seeing this tossed brood every couple of weeks, regularly ... or, are you seeing tossed brood after each inspection.
If noticed only after inspections, then the next question is what are you doing with brood frames during the inspections? For example, taking out of the hive and putting down out of the hive, in the sun or in the shade, etc. Could the problem be your method?
22 degrees mentioned, I am assuming celsius. That is definitely not too cold to affect brood. At times I inspect a 5 degrees. If the brood is put in the sun, it is entirely possible it is being cooked not chilled.
If noticed each couple weeks, inspections or not, then you have a brood disease or pest that needs to be diagnosed.
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Ive noticed that every day i have a selection of dead or dying bees at the front of the hive not actually on the hive itself but in front of it , ive even seen bees fighting on the ground which reminds me of monty pythons movie scene where he says "im not dead yet" .
I am just putting it down to natural attrition in the hive the ants clean it up fairly quickly so most are gone within a day and i can hear the sounds of the ants in the mess hall saying "oh not bee again cooky" .
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I can't see it very well (too small) but I think it looks like chalkbrood.
http://www.bushfarms.com/beespests.htm#chalkbrood