I just put a super on my hive yesterday evening...I got my son to help me ..need him to be comfortable around bees...he will be assisting me with a cutout in two weeks......BUT...I just went out to look at the hive and noticed several bee crawling on the ground. 20 or 30 or so, scattered in about a 12 food radius of the hive. They seemed unable to fly...seems some of them had one wing sticking away from the body at an angle. I squashed a couple and they were full of yellow something ( I don't know if that is normal or not..just seemed unusual } I am quite concerned should I be and if so....what should I do? I look at and around my hive almost daily. This has just happened.
Thanks
Dennis
Given the wings are out at odd angles, it sounds to me like tracheal mites. One of the symptoms for Tracheal mites is that infected bees will have their for and hind wing on one or both sides make a "K". The fact that they can't fly is also a sign. You could try medicating with thymol or grease patties. I don't use thet grease patties given I don't worry about Tracheal Mites. Maybe someone else will know a recipie.
Use menthol. Eucalyptus or mint is a good natural source of menthol and the menthol kills the treachal mites.
I thought the "K" wing posture was one of the symptoms of nosema.
The yellow stuff coming out is their fecal material. I think that is pretty normal, they've probably been holding it for a while.
Nosema actually causes dysentary, and this is usually evidenced in the early spring by yellow streaks of poop all over the hive. Not much of a problem in the summer when they can fly more.
what is the best method to treat, and would mint oil you would get in the spice section of grocery store work. no bees on the ground this morning and they are coming in loaded with pollen yea!!
thanks
dennis
>I thought the "K" wing posture was one of the symptoms of nosema.
Not that I know of.
>what is the best method to treat, and would mint oil you would get in the spice section of grocery store work.
The best thing to get is a new queen. Tracheal mite resistance is easy to breed for. All you have to do is never treat and you'll end up with the survivors. Try buying your queens somewhere else.
I never treat for tracheal mites.