I have noticed that I have a number of bees crawling on the ground unable to fly. Some of them have wings that look like they have been through a shredder and others have wings that look fine. They are all crawling around energetically, but fall off leaves and seem somewhat disoriented. Any idea what could be wrong with them and how I could treat this naturally (without a chemical administered to hive)?
I have noticed the same thing (maybe 6-12)...I'm pretty sure it is older field bees feeling their age with the change of season and drop in temps...they either gain enough energy to get back in the hive, or they die or get eaten by a spider or yellowjacket.
Could be many things.
Here is one possibility....
I notice with the increase of no-till crop farming, that farmers at this time of the year are spraying fields, getting ready for fall plantings. Depending where you are located, the bees may have been working a field one day, and returned to find a fast turning brown dead pile of vegetation.
Last year at this time, I lost 12 of 15 hives at one location when a farmer sprayed a field of clover that the bees were working. Each hive had at least 2 inches of bees dead in front of the hive. You may not see kill like this as sometimes it's just a minor episode.
I never experienced this with traditional tilling. But with no till crops, a whole field gets spray at a time. And some of those fields were full of flowering late summer plants.
Just something to consider.
Drones :? It's eviction time in many parts of US.
k wing?
...JP
The workers are dragging out the drones. A lot of times they chew up the wings so the drone can't fly back into the hive. Sometimes the workers fall to the ground with the drone, and crawl around a bit.