# small cell folks- any experience with the new hive death disease?



## girl Mark (Oct 25, 2005)

Are any of you small cell guys experiencing this scary hive death thing that's supposedly doing in the commercial beekeepers? If so, are you cycling brood comb out of the hive over time, or are you saving it from year to year ?


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Are any of you small cell guys experiencing this scary hive death thing that's supposedly doing in the commercial beekeepers?

Not I.

>If so, are you cycling brood comb out of the hive over time

Not I.

>or are you saving it from year to year ?

I save it from year to year. But then I'm not putting poisons in the hive to contaminate it.


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## suprstakr (Feb 10, 2006)

No deaths And cycle 1 frame 1yr


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

I am losing SC hives at the same rate as LC, but it looks like mites to me, not some new disease.


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## flathead (Nov 1, 2006)

odfrank,

<SC hives> 

Can you describe your SC hives? All SC foundation in the brood nest etc?

<same rate as LC>

What is the rate? Are you treating the LC for mites and not treating the SC?

<but it looks like mites to me>

For a newbie to be able to tell, could I(do you?) check the hives that collapse to make sure it was mites?

How is that done?


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## kingofbees (Jan 26, 2007)

>I am losing SC hives at the same rate as LC, but it looks like mites to me, not some new disease. 

it looks like Tracheal mites?


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## naturebee (Dec 25, 2004)

--Are any of you small cell guys experiencing this scary hive death thing that's supposedly doing in the commercial beekeepers?--(GM)

No deaths in my feral colonies that I now use for queen breeding and honey production, having performed well in 2 and more years of assessments. These colonies did well last season in spite of the poor weather, and show no symptoms of CCD or other associated stresses. 

I however have had a higher than normal swarm failure last season with these dud feral swarms and feral colonies from swarm calls crashing out on me in the first year of assessments, so somthing is stressing these bees. BUT, interestingly enough, ferals caught in woodlands and other remote type areas did very well in first year assessments.


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## peggjam (Mar 4, 2005)

I had one hive that I know of that showed some of the signs of this CCD stuff....but I can't say for sure that that was what it was. It could've swarmed during late fall and the new queen didn't get mated and it just dwindled away. So I really can't say that CCD was the cause for what happened to this colony.


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## fat/beeman (Aug 23, 2002)

hello
I only had 10 so far this yr die but they had no queens late in yr. my fault sold them to a needy beekeeper.
all seems to be ok at this point amd hope it stays that way. I have been on small cell for a while now. only thing I am doing is grafting from ferals and useing there larva for queen cells then open mateing with my russian stock.
Don=fat/beeman


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## girl Mark (Oct 25, 2005)

Thanks for the info, please keep your stories coming!

Mark


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## Joseph Clemens (Feb 12, 2005)

>Are any of you small cell guys experiencing this scary hive death thing that's supposedly doing in the commercial beekeepers?

Not yet. Hope it's never.


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## BWrangler (Aug 14, 2002)

Hello Everyone,

I've not experienced CCD(old name disappearing disease) with my small cell or natural hives.

I did experience a severe case of it back in about 1976. Exact same symptoms, same time of year and same results. I lost about 400 hives/week when it peaked the third week in May. They would be full of bee, brood, food, etc.. Three days later, empty without a dead bee in sight. Only a few very young bees and the occasional queen. And no robbing, etc.

The bee researchers, at that time, attributed it to an influx of African genetics which were imported by our government for breeding purposes and escaped into the breeding populations.

Regards
Dennis


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## JohnK and Sheri (Nov 28, 2004)

D. Murrell said:


> The bee researchers, at that time, attributed it to an influx of African genetics which were imported by our government for breeding purposes and escaped into the breeding populations.
> Dennis


Dennis, did you agree with the researchers onclusions back then? How about now, in light of the current "outbreak", for lack of a better term.
Sheri


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## BWrangler (Aug 14, 2002)

Hi JohnK and Sheri,

At the time, I didn't have any reason not to agree with their conclusions. The disappearing continued, but tapered off, for several more seasons. Then it primarily occurred in the western US. At that time, no pesticides were being put inside the hives.

Today, I doubt that a single, simple factor is the cause. And I suspect that the problem was more complicated three decades ago as well.

This problem is certainly perceived differently today. Back then, the beekeepers, who experienced it, were ridiculed and the disappearing was blamed on their supposed beekeeping ignorance! Much of the discussion was little better than a knee slapping reaction revolving around the symantecs of just what was disappearing the bees or the disease. 

It's interesting to note that the researcher who perceived the problem as real and discussed the possible government connection, got into some trouble for doing so, was demoted and set to another lab if I recall correctly.

I hope the new generation of researchers get a handle on this problem. Like so many bee things, it will probably surprise us all.


Regards
Dennis


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## JohnK and Sheri (Nov 28, 2004)

>>Back then, the beekeepers, who experienced it, were ridiculed and the disappearing was blamed on their supposed beekeeping ignorance!<<
interesting.... Seems there's a little of that going around now too, with some beeks convinced it is beekeeper mismanagement. On the other hand, it is good to see the response from the public and much of the scientific community. 
Sheri


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## Joseph Clemens (Feb 12, 2005)

Okay, yesterday and again today I had a chance to go out and inspect my colonies. None dead, no CCD here, yet. Most appear very strong and ready for the mesquite flow. Many are still very heavy with honey from last season, but a few are light weight, very little reserve. Amazing how, colonies, side by side, apparently of the same strength, one seemingly very frugal, and the next spendthrift. Several colonies still headed by the cordovan Italian queens I obtained several years ago, or their pure-bred daughters, some headed by 1/2 cordovan daughters (workers normal color, drones cordovan), some queens cordovan color (with some workers normal, all drones, of course, cordovan). I plan to get another small batch of purebred cordovan Italian queens again in a few weeks.


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