# bees stumbling and dieing in front of hive



## hoodswoods (May 15, 2009)

The number you indicate tells me DWV, or the losers in a robbing attempt. I have SHB in every hive I have, but they don't create the issue you're seeing at a minimal level.

How do you check for mites or SHB anyway?

Pesticide would usually be a large die-off, and it is a bit early for casting off drone.

What's your IPM strategy?


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## thomasj (Jul 21, 2011)

I have inspected the dieing bees carefully and no sign of DWV. I am currently dusting for a mite count. As far as robbing, I will watch more closely. I am not using any hard chemicals in my hives. Are trachea mites just not possible?


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## BayHighlandBees (Feb 13, 2012)

on any given day at any given time since I installed my packages, I have easily had 5-15 bees stumbling around and dieing in front of my hive. I would think that is due to normal old age. Assuming you have around 50k of bees or so in your hive(s), its an infinitesimal fraction of your total bees.


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## thomasj (Jul 21, 2011)

That's what my wife said, maybe old age. I guess I would not as concerned if I hadn't had to requeen that hive earlier and that put my bee way back. Instead of having 50k I'm probably about 15 to 20k so every bee counts. Thanks for your input.


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## Hokie Bee Daddy (Apr 1, 2011)

This is the time of the year when varroa mites become a real problem. The mites are at their peak population and the amount of brood is declining. This means more bees are affected by more varroa mites than you will see in the spring. There are several really good threads here about varroa and crawlers. Here is one:

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?246504-Crawlers-dead-bees-how-many-is-normal

When I see crawlers like you are talking about I always treat for varroa.


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## heus (Apr 16, 2012)

I have had the same thing this summer and after observing carefully I believe they are robber bees that have been "roughed up" by the guards.


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## the doc (Mar 3, 2010)

Could be nosema ceranae in the absence of varroa. Do not underestimate this parasite. Collect about 50 of these bees and send them to beltsville for analysis


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## Tim B (Apr 16, 2009)

Last year I had the same problem. There were also bees around the yard in the same shape. By november I had 3 or 4 dead hives and the rest had a double handful of bees left. May have been mites, may have been nosema...who knows.


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## lenny bee (Oct 29, 2010)

Hi: If you are useing a screen bottom board. Take a pc. of carboard ,white or something like this cut to size to fit under the hive, then put a coat of vasiline on it, an slide it under your hive, a little off the ground. Leave it under for a few days. then pull out an look, for little black dots with legs, there mites. I do this every couple of weeks to check. The vasiline will make them stick an stop them from crawling back up into the hive.


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## New Ky Beekeeper (Jun 27, 2011)

the doc said:


> Could be nosema ceranae in the absence of varroa. Do not underestimate this parasite. Collect about 50 of these bees and send them to beltsville for analysis


I would love to understand how to do this. Would you mind giving me more detail?
thank you in advance.

Phil


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## thomasj (Jul 21, 2011)

I did that and found alot. How do I treat for them. I really don't want to use any hard chemicals.


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## Hokie Bee Daddy (Apr 1, 2011)

thomasj said:


> I did that and found alot. How do I treat for them. I really don't want to use any hard chemicals.


Do you mean you found varroa? If that's it then there are a lot of options out there from letting them go and hoping for the best to using miticides. EVERYONE has an opinion on this one. Rather than start an argument here I'll refer you to this site that shows you all of the options. Good luck. 

http://scientificbeekeeping.com/


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