Workers uncapping larva

ArmucheeBee · September 28, 2008, 07:30:21 PM

I've been watching my new OB hive (way too much) and noticed that the workers are uncapping larva and dragging them out. The larva are fully formed, white, with black eyes. What would cause this?

bassman1977 · September 28, 2008, 11:10:12 PM

Disease (yours sound normal from your description), lack of food, preping the hive for winter (I'm seeing this go on a bit), chilled and/or dead brood.

sc-bee · September 28, 2008, 11:11:52 PM

Varroa --- hygienic behavior maybe?

Not enough bees to keep brood warm?

Drone brood?

rdy-b · September 29, 2008, 12:19:44 AM

are the bees getting out -or is the exit blocked -the only time my OB dose this is when i take it to the farmers market on saturdays and they are closed in for the duration of the market -they always rip out larvae -people always ask what they are doing and i tell them about the mites and hygienic behavior -but they only do it when they are couped up -check the entrance ;) RDY-B

ArmucheeBee · September 29, 2008, 12:52:18 PM

Thanks for the replies. It sounds like not enough bees to keep them warm. I can clearly see that. Most of the hive is staying on one comb along with the queen. That is why I put this hive in the OB because they were small. What is the temp the brood needs to stay at?

Moonshae · September 29, 2008, 08:08:01 PM

Quote from: ArmucheeBee on September 29, 2008, 12:52:18 PM
What is the temp the brood needs to stay at?

95 F.

ArmucheeBee · September 29, 2008, 08:44:50 PM

Holy Cow. I thought I had read 95F before. That's pretty hot. There's no way the brood was staying close to that. I don't see how their little bodies can generate that either!!!!
I have no problem with Varroa right now, there is one SHB in the OB hive. I plan to get his tail on a cold morning, so I can open the hive without too many leaving. A SHB larva did find its way onto my pollen patty and is making a web on the glass. Will the bees kill it?

Scadsobees · September 30, 2008, 09:34:31 AM

SHB don't make webs, those are wax moths. Not as bad as SHB. One isn't a problem.

Keep a close eye on them too. If the bees are weak those infernal SHB can devastate them in a really big hurry. The SHB maggots (larvae, I know!) will kill and eat capped brood. If you notice the bees acting agitated on only certain sections of comb it is possible that there is a maggot underneath that the bees can't get to.

Rick

limyw · September 30, 2008, 12:46:22 PM

it could due to problematic queen lays unhealthy eggs