I found a house bee dragging out a dead sister a few days ago. She was hairless, and so was completely black. I researched it, and came up with Chronic Bee Paralysis, an incurable virus that is usually not a big problem, and is solved by killing the queen and letting new genetics take over. Has anyone else seen this and did you have to take action?
Unless the queen is laying a lot of brood that?s got the virus I would do nothing.
The dead bee could just be bald from being dragged out of the hive. Maybe her body was stuck somewhere and in the process of removing her the other bees scraped her hair off, or something like that. As Michael Bush said, a single solitary hairless bee is probably not cause for concern.
Remember, that is just one bee among 10 to 50,000 bees in your hive. It is like your body having a virus or bacteria in a few cells and your body removed them with your T cells or white cells.
Jim Altmiller
Mr. Bob, Chronic Bee Paralysis has an identifying factor: glossy, waxed, hairless almost polished appearance.
The virus was discovered, characterized in Israel. That basically all I really know.
[attachment=0][/attachment]
Note the glossy shiny appearance.
The one I found looked like this. But I understand that this is just one out of tens of 1000s. So I will follow advice, do nothing but keep an eye out as I go. It was just such a startling thing to see them hauling a jet black carcass around the hive. I wondered if a foreign bee had invaded and they had killed it. Thanks.
Bobil,
That is very possible and quite likely.
Jim Altmiller
You might want to go back to the following topic which will be well worth your while and educational on the different views of the black bee; as titled;
What's this?
November 01, 2018
Ben framed. It took me a while to figure out the search feature, but I found the thread. Very interesting, since there was no greasy, sick look to the bee I saw. Two very smart men sharing experience, and some good things to think about when I open the hive. As you know, we newbees have a hard time figuring out to what we need to be paying attention during inspection. We are on information overload everytime we go in the hive. Thanks for the link.
Quote from: bobll on June 20, 2019, 06:09:35 AM
.... As you know, we newbees have a hard time figuring out to what we need to be paying attention during inspection. We are on information overload everytime we go in the hive. ...
Thats the truth!
That's why I'm so thankful for this place - good people from all aspects of beekeeping, willing to kindly and patiently lend us beginners a helping hand - "
Thank You" to all of you!
Quote from: bobll on June 20, 2019, 06:09:35 AM
Ben framed. It took me a while to figure out the search feature, but I found the thread. Very interesting, since there was no greasy, sick look to the bee I saw. Two very smart men sharing experience, and some good things to think about when I open the hive. As you know, we newbees have a hard time figuring out to what we need to be paying attention during inspection. We are on information overload everytime we go in the hive. Thanks for the link.
Quote from: CoolBees on June 20, 2019, 12:25:20 PM
Quote from: bobll on June 20, 2019, 06:09:35 AM
.... As you know, we newbees have a hard time figuring out to what we need to be paying attention during inspection. We are on information overload everytime we go in the hive. ...
Thats the truth!
That's why I'm so thankful for this place - good people from all aspects of beekeeping, willing to kindly and patiently lend us beginners a helping hand - "Thank You" to all of you!
I am glad you found it bobll. Very good information there with different points of view, with one goal, to help the bee and the beekeeper,
I will second that Alan. Yes, this is the place to learn!!
Phillip
There are references to shiny black bees and shiny black bees dying dating back at least to Huber in the late 1700s. Varroa has made the spread of it more "efficient". Turns out there are many different viruses with this outcome and one of those is the Israeli acute paralysis virus but others are the Kashmir virus, black queen virus etc.
Michael. That's what I like about you. You are always reminding the beekeeping community that our issues and experiences are not unknown and unsolvable. The guys back in earlier centuries dealt with many of the same issues. Thanks.