Lost a hive. Was in the main apiary today to take off the last of supers. I'd taken what could be spun two weeks ago and treated everything for mites. All colonies looked good then. Today I could smell something rotting. Found a production hive will a pile of bees outside and shaking bees on the landing board. Crud. On getting into hive the tops of frames were covered with shaking bees. In two weeks time a packed 100k strong hive was crashing hard. Dismantled, cleaned the bottom board, used the bee brush to sweep off the shaking bees on the top of each box as I put it back together and moved it a few feet back from where it was.
On the ride home I've decided to go back later this week and see if the queen survived the viral load. I doubt it. Likely I will shake the bees off everything and pull the hive so it doesn't act as a plague ship once the flow is gone. If there was a quick and easy way to euthanize that hive I would. I am a little bummed about the hive loss but I am very worried about the bee paralysis spreading to the entire apiary.
I do random mite checks throughout the yard during the season. I beleive this one was checked at the end of June with one mite in 300 bees washed. Was a year old Strachen New World Carni queen heading up that colony.
On the ride home I've decided to go back later this week and see if the queen survived the viral load. I doubt it. Likely I will shake the bees off everything and pull the hive so it doesn't act as a plague ship once the flow is gone. If there was a quick and easy way to euthanize that hive I would. I am a little bummed about the hive loss but I am very worried about the bee paralysis spreading to the entire apiary.
I do random mite checks throughout the yard during the season. I beleive this one was checked at the end of June with one mite in 300 bees washed. Was a year old Strachen New World Carni queen heading up that colony.
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