Worldwide Beekeeping
Beekeeping => Pests and Diseases => Topic started by: Jen on March 08, 2016, 12:02:45 pm
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This was on my fb page this morning, thought it would be of note to those of you over in the north east states
http://www.michiganbees.org/2016/why-did-my-honey-bees-die/
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Very good article It confirms what I have been preaching for the last 10 years Treat early. For me it is the middle of August so the bees that are emerging the 1st of September are as free of the mites as possible.
No records that varroa was under control. Notice that this says ‘varroa was under control’, and not that ‘the colony was treated’. You may have applied a treatment, but it may have been too little, or (more likely) too late. This year was a particularly difficult year for this, because in Michigan we had a really late summer – it stayed warm enough for beekeepers to go into their hives well into October. Many beekeepers took the extra time to put on a varroa treatment, thinking that they were lucky to get one in. While that treatment could help the bees for next season, it was too late for this winter. September and October treatments would have been applied after varroa had gotten to their winter bees. Winter bees are born in the fall, and with their special fat deposits that allow them to live through the winter months, they are the one who carry the colony to the next season. If the winter bees have already been infected with viruses, the damage is done. No amount of treatment or varroa drop would bring the colony back.
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Thanks for the educational read jen.
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Thanks Jen! :P
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Good article. Thanks for sharing it Jen. :)
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Thanks Jen. My hive fit all the criteria. I thought the white crystals were from the sugar patties. Another lesson learned. I am so glad I took pictures of every frames.
(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs16.postimg.cc%2F67o8l2rsx%2Fimage.jpg&hash=9b777bf47ffd8a9126449c681ee6be0dd137f066) (http://postimg.cc/image/67o8l2rsx/)
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Les the crystals on the bees are ones from sugar. Crystals from mites will be on the side of the cells.
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Good pic of the bees Les... Are the bees in pic dead? for learning purposes
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All dead :sad:
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les, what apis said, sugar crystals.
awesome article jen!
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Cystalized Bee Pee.... Yuck. Great article. Soooo glad I found OAV, its been a life saver (bee saver).