Failed swarm or Usurpation?

[BeeMaster2]

I came home this evening after doing a cutout all day and then picking up a Trapout Nuc that had moved out of a warehouse cinder block wall. I placed the Nuc in my Apiary and heard a lot of bees around the tree above me. Turned out it was a swarm and it was starting to settle high in a tree out side the fence. I started looking to see which hive they were coming from. What I found out was  the bees were going into the yellow VW hive that Judy painted during Beefest this year. I leaned over the hive and watch them going in trying to determine if it was an usurpation or they were returning. I was also watching to see if I could see the queen.

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I saw a bunch of bees crawling up a weed stem.

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I got a glimpse of a queen with a green marking.
I went around to the front and grabbed her and a bunch of bee with my hand. I was able to release the bees and keep the queen in my hand. I opened it just long enough to snap a picture but as you can see it did not focus very well because it was too quick.

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I went into my garage and found a queen cage and put her in it. I put her back in the entrance because it was too late to open this hive and figure out what was going on and fix it.

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Tomorrow I will take it apart and see if there are queen cell in this hive. If there are I will split it, move the queen to the new hive/location and reduce the queen cells to just 2 cells.
Jim Altmiller

[BeeMaster2]

Here is a picture of the front of the hive after I put the queen in the hive.

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Jim Altmiller

[herbhome]

Nice catch and quick thinking, Jim. I would have been just standing there dumbfounded.

[BeeMaster2]

Herb,
I bet you won?t now if it happens. 😊
Jim Altmiller

[cao]

Last week I had a hive do that 2 days in a row.  The first day they just flew around in the air.  The second day they actually landed in a tree for less than 1/2 hour before returning to the hive.  I haven't checked that hive yet to see if it did swarm since the second days flight.

[BeeMaster2]

CAO,
My hives are raised off the ground. The queen and the bees around her were trying to climb up a stalk of grass that kept falling over when too many were on it. I suspect that if I was not there, she may not have made it back into the hive.

[BeeMaster2]

Update, I inspected the hive this morning. These bees were probably absconding. No queen cells, poor brood pattern. I called my inspector to take a look. I kept the queen in her cage.
Jim Altmiller

[jtcmedic]

If you could take a pic and share, failed queen or are you thinking worse?

[Ben Framed]

Update, I inspected the hive this morning. These bees were probably absconding. No queen cells, poor brood pattern. I called my inspector to take a look. I kept the queen in her cage.
Jim Altmiller

Mites?

[BeeMaster2]

My inspector came by this afternoon and we went through 2 hives.
It is not foul brood, there is no string effect nor any smell. He says it is snotty brood.
Here are some pictures:

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Notice some of the brood is brown and the cells are not capped despite eyes are visible. Also not some of the cells are extended but not capped.
We did an alcohol wash and found 3 mites.

[BeeMaster2]

I also noticed that there is no area of significant capped brood.
The plan is oxy treatment for three weeks and a apple cider spray for 3 weeks.
The spray is 7 parts apple cider and 3 parts 1 to 1 sugar water. Spray than tops of the brood frames once a week for 3 weeks.
Wish me luck. Hopefully it works. I have several hives in trouble.
Jim Altmiller

[Ben Framed]

Jim, this is the first I have heard of snotty brood. Is that the same thing as EFB?

[BeeMaster2]

No. Thank goodness. It can be caused by bacteria or viruses. It affects uncapped brood like EFB but it is not stringy like EFB is.
Jim Altmiller

[FloridaGardener]

Sorry to hear it, Jim.  "Snotty brood" sounds like when we humans get sick with sinus infections.  I hope they get over it with your TLC.

And please tell Judy her VW hive is darling.  They never would've left, except that they wanted to tell you they have the flu.

[BeeMaster2]

Thanks FG.

[Ben Framed]

Jim let me ask, did yall do a test on the bees?  I just ran across a test called the Holst Milk Test. I am looking into that even now. I found this as I was looking for snotty brood.  I am just learning, so I hope you do not mind the questions. I do not want to appear to be questioning you or your inspectors wisdom and experience. I have been looking at this very closely. Everything I can find says the string test is for AFB, not so much on EFB. And that is why I am asking. I can not find much on snotty hive except about the same M/O as EFB. And European Foul Brood is separate and different from AFB (which does fail the string test of positive).  Please be patient with me as I am trying to learn. I am glad you  posted the subject.
Thank you Jim,
Phillip

[jtcmedic]

Had to look up snotty brood and Idiopathic Brood Disease Syndrome came up will have to research more . Thanks for pics

[BeeMaster2]

Ben,
Good questions.
The string test works for both AFB and EFB.the string of EFB will stretch 2 cells and AFB will stretch about 4 cells.
Jim Altmiller

[Ben Framed]

Ben,
Good questions.
The string test works for both AFB and EFB.the string of EFB will stretch 2 cells and AFB will stretch about 4 cells.
Jim Altmiller

Good to know Jim, I hope this works out well for you and this hive.
Thanks for the continued education 😊😁
Phillip