# Question? Found dead white bees outside hive



## Iowatree (Jul 17, 2015)

Was in the hive Thurs and didn't notice anything. It had open queen cell and other queen cell torn open. Hopefully mated or soon mated queen. This morning saw handful of white bees on ground just outside entrance. Going to open up tomorrow is there something I should look for? This was a package that lost queen early..But that's another story. Thanks in advance.......this is a humbling hobby......:shhhh:


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## ericweller (Jan 10, 2013)

Iowatree said:


> Was in the hive Thurs and didn't notice anything. It had open queen cell and other queen cell torn open. Hopefully mated or soon mated queen. This morning saw handful of white bees on ground just outside entrance. Going to open up tomorrow is there something I should look for? This was a package that lost queen early..But that's another story. Thanks in advance.......this is a humbling hobby......:shhhh:


Maybe you accidently tore cells open when you were doing your inspection and the bees were getting rid of the evidence.


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## GaryG74 (Apr 9, 2014)

Could be drone brood being thrown out during a dearth. I've had several hives pulling adult drones out, as well as pulling drone brood out. Look at the larva and see if the abdomen is real blunt. If they are far enough along, they may even look like drones. Some of the ones here were mostly creamy white but they were past the purple eye stage and you could tell they were drones.


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## Bigmachine (Jan 4, 2015)

I have within the past week seen 1 white bee dead on the ground in front of my hive as well. I actually saw 3 bees drag the white bee out of the hive and fall on the ground as I walked up to the hive. The bees that dragged the white bee out seemed very unhappy with the white bee! Anyway, I don't have an answer but was curious about it as it happened right in front of me. I did an inspection today and did discover many queen cups and what I believe is a queen cell thats capped. I'm a new bee and don't know what I should do next.


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## waynesgarden (Jan 3, 2009)

Since the OP said white bees and not white larvae or pupae, I assuming white, fully emerged bees.

In that case, I would look for deformed wing virus when inspecting next. I've read more than once of a connection between the two.

Wayne


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## wcubed (Aug 24, 2008)

If they are white because it's just an empty shell (cuticle/exoskeleton), and it's a drone - that's and early indication that a colony considers themselves short on honey stores. They pull drone pupa and suck the juices out to recycle the invested nutrients. They don't wait until they are out of honey to invoke this ugly practice. It starts somewhere short of 3 deep frames of honey for the full-sized colony.

Serves several purposes. If the expendable drones are left to emerge, they are just more drain on resources.

Walt


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## QueenB&J (Jun 23, 2015)

I have also seen this in the past week on a nuc that we started in the beginning of July. There were about 4 white larvae on the "front porch" of the nuc.


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## MTBeeGirl (Apr 24, 2015)

I just found a white larvae on my front porch this morning too! It happened once before about a month ago. It's like they pulled it out of the cell because they weren't happy with it for some reason. But only one. Not a handful.


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## JWChesnut (Jul 31, 2013)

This is often an early sign of DWV disease. However the suggestion that these were killed in your earlier inspection is also valid.
You can test the disease v. accident diagnosis by removing a white or purple eye pupa from the hive and observing its wings --- DWV pupa are already showing the characteristic warped and twisted wing by Day 18 or so.

While in the hive, look for pupa that are open. Many bees demonstrate some level of hygenic behavior and open the pupa capping, exposing the heads of pupa before they are mature. An "excess" number of the open pupa is pointing to a chronic condition in the hive, "some" are validating the hygenic nature of the bees. 

I cannot really tell you the distinction between "excess" and "some" -- this is an experience and intuitive assessment that comes with repeated hive inspections.


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## Iowatree (Jul 17, 2015)

Sorry I haven't responded. No other dead bees other than an occasional drowning. I had forgotten that I had installed a push in temp queen cage to try to save 2nd queen cell. Didn't work.. The cage had killed some drone brood and that's what they were hauling out. So much to learn and your afraid to make mistakes so you ask dumb questions, but oh what fun......thanks everyone


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## Hooder (10 mo ago)

Can anyone determine if the dead larvae in the picture are drones ?


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## G3farms (Jun 13, 2009)

Need better up close pic that is in focus


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## G3farms (Jun 13, 2009)

Looks like a mite on the bee in the upper left, on the tar paper


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## G3farms (Jun 13, 2009)

The fully developed bee in the upper center on the tar paper looks to be a drone.


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

don't know your location but you mite want to check for food unless you did an inspection and damaged the drone's.


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## Hooder (10 mo ago)

I am in central North Carolina. We have stuff in bloom. There are two supers filled with honey and I supplement with sugar syrup


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

only other guess's would be chilled brood, but they would normally be darker, mites with hygienic bees or ?


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