# What's going on here?



## D Coates (Jan 6, 2006)

I've got a week hive who appears to have a poor laying queen. The hive has created a supercedure queen but she's not even capped yet. I've also got a strong nuc that I could combine with this hive to boost numbers and give them a strong hive. The problem I see is that something else is going on. I've got dead brood and some bees whos wings appear to be out of sorts. What's going on here?

I don't want to add a strong nuc only to have them get the same illnesses. Any help would be greatly appreciated

http://s196.photobucket.com/albums/aa190/Drew454/Bad frame/?action=view&current=IMG_6626.jpg


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## Bigtbbq (Apr 12, 2008)

I dont know but it will be interesting to hear from others.... BTW I love your signature....LOL
T.G.


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## Budster (Mar 24, 2006)

Also appears the brood pattern is spotty and weak? Cant tell from the photo, but it "appears" to be drone brood? (The capped cells)? Not sure from the pic though. I do see some fresh larva though?


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## deejaycee (Apr 30, 2008)

On the brood pattern alone I'd requeen. 

Deformed wings could be deformed wing virus and/or direct damage from varroa mites. Either way, DWV is carried by varroa mites, so treat for varroa as well as requeening. Are you noticing a large number of bees crawling on the ground outside the hive with shonky wings? 


The brood I can't see well enough to tell what's going on. What are the dead brood like? Are they dry or moist? Is the 'plump' dead brood like a bag of soft mush inside a skin (sacbrood)? Are they drying out and mummifying ](chalkbrood)?

Short answer: requeen and treat for varroa. Requeening will take care of a surprising number of brood diseases. Buy a good caged mated queen - don't let them breed their own queen, as she'll have her mother's genetics and you may find your problems just continue.


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## mistergil (May 24, 2007)

The only thing I would add is pull out a couple drone brood and examine them carefully for mites, the DWV indicators may mean that they are being overwhelmed. My understanding is that the DWV is suspected as possibly being transmitted by the queen but this is not proven yet. Either way requeening from outside and mite tx should help.


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## Beaches' Bee-Haven Apiary (May 22, 2007)

I agree it sounds like a mite problem. Api-Life-Var, Apistan, Mite-Away II, are some of the chemical treatments. I like the powdered sugar shake myself though.

-Nathanael


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## D Coates (Jan 6, 2006)

This hive is from a nuc that got too big for it's britches so I moved it into a deep before it swarmed. I put in a second deep that was already more than 1/2 drawn and filled with pollen and honey. My mistake may have been putting it on too early but I was trying to ensure the drawn comb and honey stayed protected.

I hadn't done any mite treatments yet as the queen wasn't laying in the Drone comb I have in there. The hives this nuc comes from (I stole a couple frames with swarm cells as well as some brood from another hive acouple months ago) are treated with powdered sugar treatments (every 3 weeks), drone removal (every 3 weeks), screened bottom boards, and OA vaporization in the late Fall. Mites haven't been a problem for me yet with any of my other 5 hives with these IPM techniques. This is only my third year though.

As for how the larva look? The dead ones look like they got chilled but there is no pattern. It doesn't look like chalkbrood, EFB or AFB, and no droppings in the hive to indicate Nosema. It could be sacbrood as the moist larve do appear to be sack of mush in a skin. The dried ones resemble a wad of pollen at the back of the cell. What also concerns me is that the dead are not being cleaned out. The hive seems embarassing lethargic.

I have not seen any bees in volume (more than 2) walking on the ground. I did try to find the queen twice on Sunday but had no luck. I think she's still in there as I have found an egg here or there that are centered in the cell. Nothing resembling a decent pattern though. No matter what I do this queen will be replaced with a queen from another source.

At this point I am planning to squeeze this hive back into a single deep and combine with one of my nucs that is very strong. When I shake this hive down I will be watching for the queen. I appreciate everyone's feedback. I haven't had to deal with any diseases yet so this is a learning opporitunity for me.

Any other feedback is greatly appreciated.


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