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Author Topic: Wired looking bees  (Read 4687 times)

Offline van from Arkansas

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Re: Wired looking bees
« Reply #20 on: June 05, 2021, 04:36:43 pm »
THE BAD:  Since varroa are know vectors, host, for many virus, my course of action would be to treat for varroa in the radar hive(s).  We do not know how to treat for virus within the hive but we do know how to treat the vector varroa carrying, spreading the virus.

THE GOOD:  On a positive note, that is something good to say, honey bees do have an immune system capable of dealing with most, but not all, virus.  From what I have read on this forum topic, this thread, the spread of this particular virus appears to be limited to a few honeybees indicating to me, limited transmission OR good virus suppression by the immune system of the honeybees in question.  But, keep a watchful eye on the hive or put on your radar as I like to say.

THE UGLY: When I studied virology, I decided I did not like virus, nor studies thereof and my dislike persists to this day.  Virus are just weird: not living creatures although the word creature is used as an oxymoron in this sentence.

Best to your bees.
I have been around bees a long time, since birth.  I am a hobbyist so my answers often reflect this fact.  I concentrate on genetics, raise my own queens by wet graft, nicot, with natural or II breeding.  I do not sell queens, I will give queens  for free but no shipping.

Offline .30WCF

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Re: Wired looking bees
« Reply #21 on: June 05, 2021, 04:50:07 pm »
I took a peek today while pulling a few honey frames. I started in the side I put the nuc in yesterday and I was looking for the queen. Every available cell in the nucs frames had eggs but no queen. I looked on the next frame which had been empty, and it was wall to wall eggs. So was the next frame, and the queen was there. I marked her while I had her out.
I know it?s a couple weeks out, but it looks like reinforcements are on the way.


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Offline van from Arkansas

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Re: Wired looking bees
« Reply #22 on: June 05, 2021, 06:32:21 pm »
Thank you Mr. 30WCF for the update,  Good news is always a Blessing to hear.
I have been around bees a long time, since birth.  I am a hobbyist so my answers often reflect this fact.  I concentrate on genetics, raise my own queens by wet graft, nicot, with natural or II breeding.  I do not sell queens, I will give queens  for free but no shipping.

Offline .30WCF

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Re: Wired looking bees
« Reply #23 on: June 11, 2021, 11:59:33 pm »
If we remember back in this thread, I had some hives that went queenless with Formic Pro. It took a long time to get a queen back in there. ( they raised their own, 3x )
Maybe stress maybe mites maybe poor queens... but I had no queen and a few weird looking bees in one hive.
I ended up basically pulling five frames out and putting a five frame nuc I had on the side right in the box. The queen was still there and lying they next day when I checked on her.
It?s a week later and she is still there. She is marked, kinda small and skinny, but laying some. Not quite like I want to see, but she is there. I might give her the hive tool if she doesn?t straighten up and dump another nuc in there.
Anyhow, the frames I pulled out went into the nuc box to raise their own queen. I went back in the nuc a few days later to check for a queen cell starting. They had just capped all the brood like normal. I did another frame swap and gave them more eggs to try again. That was Monday morning. Today, I looked and I found eggs and larvae. Odd, that. I didn?t see the queen, but I was really just thinking I was looking for a queen cell. Maybe I?ll find her next week?
I assume I?ve been trying to raise a queen in a couple hives for long enough that there was a stray virgin that returned to that nuc. I guess there could have been a second queen in the nuc on the box wall when I pulled the frames. I am 100% certain the marked queen was on a frame when I moved her into the big hive and she is still there today.

Offline .30WCF

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Re: Wired looking bees
« Reply #24 on: June 12, 2021, 01:03:12 am »
I guess it could be possible I move the laying queen for the nuc to the large hive, and unknowingly moved a young queen to the nuc in the original swap and she just started laying this week.


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Offline TheHoneyPump

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Wired looking bees
« Reply #25 on: June 13, 2021, 08:42:12 am »
Sounds like a probable scenario. Only other possibility is the frames pulled and put into the nuc have gone laying worker and rhat is what you are seeing in there.
Otherwise, at this point it does not really matter. You have three queens laying now and need only decide which one(s) to keep and which one(s) to cull. 
When the lid goes back on, the bees will spend the next 3 days undoing most of what the beekeeper just did to them.

Offline .30WCF

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Re: Wired looking bees
« Reply #26 on: June 13, 2021, 05:33:53 pm »
Sounds like a probable scenario. Only other possibility is the frames pulled and put into the nuc have gone laying worker and rhat is what you are seeing in there.
Otherwise, at this point it does not really matter. You have three queens laying now and need only decide which one(s) to keep and which one(s) to cull.
Although, it?s a possibility, the hive has not been left eggless or broodless. The eggs found were also neat backs cleanly placed in the center of the cells.
I am eager to see if I can find the queen in my next inspection. But even if I don?t find her, I?ll be looking for the new capped brood to be worker brood.

Offline van from Arkansas

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Re: Wired looking bees
« Reply #27 on: June 13, 2021, 10:53:20 pm »
Often, during inspections, when I am not looking for the queen, there she is in plain view.  To the contrary when I need to find the queen,,, well you know.  This happens quite often, no joke.

Hope ya find her with ease 30 WCF.
I have been around bees a long time, since birth.  I am a hobbyist so my answers often reflect this fact.  I concentrate on genetics, raise my own queens by wet graft, nicot, with natural or II breeding.  I do not sell queens, I will give queens  for free but no shipping.

Online Ben Framed

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Re: Wired looking bees
« Reply #28 on: June 13, 2021, 11:23:13 pm »
Same for me Mr Van. Frustrating. I now keep a marking pen with me and mark every one I can find, on the spot. lol :grin: Sure makes it much easier; (Sometimes)  :shocked: :cheesy:
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline .30WCF

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Re: Wired looking bees
« Reply #29 on: June 20, 2021, 05:08:33 pm »
Seems all the hives are queened and doing fine. There are a couple of these weird bees in a hive or two, but it doesn?t seem to be detrimental at the moment.

Offline .30WCF

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Re: Wired looking bees
« Reply #30 on: June 20, 2021, 09:55:15 pm »
Reference the unknown origin of the queen in the nuc, I found her and marked her today. She is building up the worker brood. Regardless of where the quickly returned queen came from, being able to dump a whole nuc right in a queenless hive for a boost and new queen is worth keeping a nuc on hand.
 

If we remember back in this thread, I had some hives that went queenless with Formic Pro. It took a long time to get a queen back in there. ( they raised their own, 3x )
Maybe stress maybe mites maybe poor queens... but I had no queen and a few weird looking bees in one hive.
I ended up basically pulling five frames out and putting a five frame nuc I had on the side right in the box. The queen was still there and lying they next day when I checked on her.
It?s a week later and she is still there. She is marked, kinda small and skinny, but laying some. Not quite like I want to see, but she is there. I might give her the hive tool if she doesn?t straighten up and dump another nuc in there.
Anyhow, the frames I pulled out went into the nuc box to raise their own queen. I went back in the nuc a few days later to check for a queen cell starting. They had just capped all the brood like normal. I did another frame swap and gave them more eggs to try again. That was Monday morning. Today, I looked and I found eggs and larvae. Odd, that. I didn?t see the queen, but I was really just thinking I was looking for a queen cell. Maybe I?ll find her next week?
I assume I?ve been trying to raise a queen in a couple hives for long enough that there was a stray virgin that returned to that nuc. I guess there could have been a second queen in the nuc on the box wall when I pulled the frames. I am 100% certain the marked queen was on a frame when I moved her into the big hive and she is still there today.

Offline van from Arkansas

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Re: Wired looking bees
« Reply #31 on: June 21, 2021, 01:10:37 pm »
Nice looking queen.  I see no mite frass in the open cells, no pin holes in capped brood.  Pic looks good.  Best to your bees.
I have been around bees a long time, since birth.  I am a hobbyist so my answers often reflect this fact.  I concentrate on genetics, raise my own queens by wet graft, nicot, with natural or II breeding.  I do not sell queens, I will give queens  for free but no shipping.

Offline .30WCF

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Re: Wired looking bees
« Reply #32 on: June 21, 2021, 06:22:25 pm »
Nice looking queen.  I see no mite frass in the open cells, no pin holes in capped brood.  Pic looks good.  Best to your bees.
That I found her on a frame in the upper nuc box. There is a lot of action downstairs, she just happend to be outside frame in the top box. She is laying good.


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