As I sit in the evening and watch my hives, I am seeing a few stray bees crawling on the ground around within a few meters. The bees seem disoriented and aimless. They don't fly (or can't).
Are these old or sick bees who have left the hive to die?
Quote from: Rex on May 14, 2008, 12:27:58 AM
As I sit in the evening and watch my hives, I am seeing a few stray bees crawling on the ground around within a few meters. The bees seem disoriented and aimless. They don't fly (or can't).
Are these old or sick bees who have left the hive to die?
Could be a sign of a problem with mites. Have you checked for them lately?
...JP
I will check them for mites and apply powdered sugar as a preventative measure...haven't powdered them yet since installing them.
Quote from: Rex on May 14, 2008, 01:35:07 PM
I will check them for mites and apply powdered sugar as a preventative measure...haven't powdered them yet since installing them.
If it's a new package it was probably heavily treated for mites prior to packaging. Not so say it's impossible but mites on packaged bees usually don't become a noticable problem until the 2nd year. Of course, a simple sugar shake just to check shouldn't hurt anything and you'll at least have peace of mind.