# Is this K-wing virus?



## InvertGang (May 1, 2020)

I was watching my bees today and found one that looked strange. Her wings were unhooked when she was on the landing board. Is this K-wing? What should I do?


----------



## AR1 (Feb 5, 2017)

Do the bees appear frozen in this position? Normal bees will sometimes hold their wings out for a while so it is not always a sign of virus. How many bees look like this? 

Have you treated for mites?


----------



## InvertGang (May 1, 2020)

AR1 said:


> Do the bees appear frozen in this position? Normal bees will sometimes hold their wings out for a while so it is not always a sign of virus. How many bees look like this?
> 
> Have you treated for mites?


I checked for mites about three weeks ago and got 0 mites but it was my first time checking so I may have done something wrong. I spent some time watching the hive today though and found one bee like this https://imgur.com/a/5cRfFaN


----------



## AR1 (Feb 5, 2017)

Cut out some drone comb and check for mites on the drone larvae. In any case, it's the season to treat, if you are going to.


----------



## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

Kwing can be a result of tracheal mites…..a different critter than varroa mites. Kwing can also be a result of age. 
Seeing one bee with kwing isn’t reason for concern, in my experience.
PS Testing a hive for varroa this time of year and finding zero mites….IS a cause for concern….in my opinion.


----------



## InvertGang (May 1, 2020)

beemandan said:


> Kwing can be a result of tracheal mites…..a different critter than varroa mites. Kwing can also be a result of age.
> Seeing one bee with kwing isn’t reason for concern, in my experience.
> PS Testing a hive for varroa this time of year and finding zero mites….IS a cause for concern….in my opinion.


I got the hive this year and the person I got from said he treated the nucs in the spring with apivar. I did the alcohol wash that returned 0 about a month after we got it. It may have been me doing it improperly though as it was my first time so I'm not ruling that out.

They are from a resistant bee breeding program that's run in my province, the Ontario Resistant Honey Bee Selection Program. https://www.ontariobee.com/ORHBS

There's a member about a 30 minute drive away from my bee yard so I went there to get them as I wanted local stock.

They're also the only hive in the area. There are no other honey bee colonies within probably at least 20+ kilometers. Or at least, we've never seen any honey bees in the area. We're up in southern central Ontario. It's mostly crown land and cottages up here, no agriculture anywhere.

That's why it seemed feasible that it could actually have 0 mites when I tested.

Edit:
I am going to do an alcohol wash today and I'll update when I know the results.


----------



## InvertGang (May 1, 2020)

AR1 said:


> Do the bees appear frozen in this position? Normal bees will sometimes hold their wings out for a while so it is not always a sign of virus. How many bees look like this?
> 
> Have you treated for mites?





beemandan said:


> Kwing can be a result of tracheal mites…..a different critter than varroa mites. Kwing can also be a result of age.
> Seeing one bee with kwing isn’t reason for concern, in my experience.
> PS Testing a hive for varroa this time of year and finding zero mites….IS a cause for concern….in my opinion.


It rained so I couldn't do a mite check until today. Here are the results, do you see any mites? 

http://imgur.com/a/kNSuAxU

Edit:
This is with 70% isopropyl alcohol. I shook a frame with open brood into a Rubbermaid thing. I waited 10 seconds for the old bees to fly off. I took a half cup measure and put the bees in the jar and covered them with the alcohol. I then shook and swirled it for 60 seconds. I gave it a last good swirl and then checked and took these photos.


----------



## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

K-Wing is not what you depicted.
K-Wing is this:


----------

