Welcome, Guest

Author Topic: Houston I got a problem  (Read 3052 times)

Offline davewants2

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 3
  • Gender: Male
Houston I got a problem
« on: July 17, 2017, 02:17:27 pm »
This is a split from another hive done 5 weeks ago.  When split there were at least 3 capped queen cells , the reason for the split. The other one is fine as of today. I think I have some kind of brood disease as the adults all seem fine. I'm only at this 11 months now but something ain't right. No bees on the ground out front but they are pulling larvae / pupa out. I see some sunken caps and weird stuff inside some cells. Does anybody recognize what I got here?

Van, Arkansas, USA

  • Guest
Re: Houston I got a problem
« Reply #1 on: August 02, 2017, 12:50:05 pm »
European foul brood (ecb)or chalk brood?  I see some cells filled almost to the top with either pollen or dead larva.  I can't tell from pic. If dead larva, looks like a piece of chalk in the cell it is chalkbrood.  Late in the year for chalkbrood.  Chalkbrood thrives in high humidity, so vent the hive and requeen.  The reason for requeening is the queen is not producing quality nurse bees.  Chalkbrood produces mummies that the nurse bees will leave in front of hive.

If ecb the cells will not be filled with chalk.  Larva will turn to mush, off White in color.  ECB is much more serious than chalkbrood.  You will have to decide to treat with antibiotic or not.
Blessings

Offline BeeMaster2

  • Administrator
  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 13494
  • Gender: Male
Re: Houston I got a problem
« Reply #2 on: August 02, 2017, 02:53:29 pm »
The only thing that I see is mite poop in the cells. 
Did you see a new queen. There is a good chance she did not survive her mating flight.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline little john

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 1537
Re: Houston I got a problem
« Reply #3 on: August 02, 2017, 06:22:25 pm »
There's a bit of mite poop, and one or two de-capped cells containing half-developed bees which didn't quite make it the full distance. Those will be chucked out soon no doubt.  A few half-filled pollen cells - but nothing particularly amiss, as far as I can see.
LJ

A Heretics Guide to Beekeeping - http://heretics-guide.atwebpages.com

Offline Acebird

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 8110
  • Gender: Male
  • Just do it
Re: Houston I got a problem
« Reply #4 on: August 03, 2017, 08:56:28 am »
What is on the bottom board or tray?  Is this a three frame split along side a four frame split?  It is hard to say from photos but are there multiple eggs/larvae in the second photo from the bottom.
With out knowing what you did or did not do for five weeks makes it hard to determine what we see in a photo.
Brian Cardinal
Just do it

Offline davewants2

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 3
  • Gender: Male
Re: Houston I got a problem
« Reply #5 on: August 04, 2017, 12:04:26 pm »
Its an 8 frame deep and based upon research done online (looking a pictures and descriptions) I'd say its European foulbrood. Cells chewed open, dying larva turning brown and they are pulling them out and removing then. I"ll be going in there on Sunday to look for a queen but didn't see her 2 weeks ago. Opened a few drone cells and found no verroa. The comb is much darker than in my other hives and appears to have a rough surface. Is that mite poop? I will not be treating bees with antibiotics. I contacted 4 "farms" about buying queens but only one replied to me and apparently its too late in year to buy a quality queen. If I can find more queen cells in another hive I may try that. Thanks for responding with your comments.

Offline little john

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 1537
Re: Houston I got a problem
« Reply #6 on: August 04, 2017, 02:57:13 pm »
The comb is much darker than in my other hives and appears to have a rough surface. Is that mite poop?

The mite poop is the tiny white crystals which can be seen in some of the cells - there's not a lot there that I can see.
LJ
A Heretics Guide to Beekeeping - http://heretics-guide.atwebpages.com

 

anything