Pesticide Poisoning?? Need Help

annette · October 30, 2009, 02:55:06 AM

OK dear people

One of my hives had a large pile of dying bees on the ground under the hive today. A good handful of bees falling all over each other.

This has been an extremely healthy hive up until today. I want to get these dead bees checked out and see what has caused the trouble. Does anyone know how I would go about doing this??

1. Is there a lab around that does this??

2. How would I preserve the bees. Alcohol??

Please let me know soon as possible,

Thanks
Annette

BoBn · October 30, 2009, 06:52:09 AM

Sorry I can't help much, but don't use alcohol. To preserve them, put them in a container in the freezer.

ziffabeek · October 30, 2009, 10:29:33 AM

I don't have any help, except to maybe contact your local university extension (I think that's what it's called). But I mostly wanted to say I'm sorry to hear about your bees and I hope you find out what it is and don't have any more losses.

love,
ziffa

annette · October 30, 2009, 12:57:10 PM

OK I will scoop a bunch up and freeze them. I have emailed a few other beeks I know and am waiting to hear about getting them tested. When I find out, I will share here on the forum.

Thanks to you both for responding.

Annette

Hemlock · October 30, 2009, 01:46:31 PM

Do they grow artichokes near you? I hear that crop is being sprayed right now.

annette · October 30, 2009, 04:33:04 PM

I called the Ag Dept of El Dorado County and they told me that there is absolutely no spraying going on this time of year either by them or the dept of transportation.

It could be something else. I hope to get to the bottom of it soon.

qa33010 · October 31, 2009, 12:32:06 AM

Does your extension office or state/county apiary section have a lab to test? If you do you may want to check with them as to what you need to do to 'prep' the bees. I've always been told that if I need to send bees out to put them in alcohol solution to better presrve them. I have heard stories about our apiary section getting rotten stinking bees that were not preserved in alcohol. But definitely check with the state. Or maybe, Beltsville?

annette · October 31, 2009, 12:43:07 AM

I received an email from Randy Oliver from Grass Valley" See below what he wrote me

"Hi Annette,

The testing has to be done at a lab. Generally costs about $200, but you can have done for about $100 through PAm. Bees must be collected quickly into a ziplock bag, and quickly frozen and kept frozen. Packed on dry ice is best. Then shipped in a styrofoam box with dry ice to the lab.

I see this from time to time--sometimes appears to be pesticide, sometimes appears to be a virus. Mysterious. haven't had good luck when sent for analysis."

So it seems that I needed to collect them asap, which I did not do, because I had to be away yesterday and today. So tomorrow would be the first day I can collect them and then they would be dead for 3 days. If this is an isolated incident, then I am just going to forget it and pray all will be ok now. Very costly for the lab and it doesn't seem to be very accurate, I guess that is what he is saying.

I will go up tomorrow and check inside the hive since we are having some warmer weather this week. If the hive looks good otherwise, I will just forget it.

Annette

qa33010 · October 31, 2009, 12:50:06 AM

Never mind my post. I guess having alcohol is not a good thing for chemical/virus/boilogical problems. Ummm the bees I mean...

Annette I do hope and pray that it is just an isolated incident for you.

annette · October 31, 2009, 12:54:03 AM

thanks for the good wishes

Natalie · November 14, 2009, 12:32:23 AM

Annette, I just saw this post for the first time.
Have you gotten the results back yet?
What a shame, I hope it all works out.
How are the rest of your bees?

RayMarler · November 14, 2009, 12:55:47 AM

Hi Annette,
If there are any live bees left, just scoop some of them up from inside the hive and send them in.

BTW, how's your business venture going with the Sac Beestore? I'm hoping very well!

annette · November 14, 2009, 01:05:13 AM

The rest of the hive has survived and appears very strong. They were flying in and out in great numbers even as they were kicking out the sick bees. I decided not to test them, as I did not scoop them up soon enough (according the Randy Oliver, they needed to be frozen asap) and also the test was about 200.00 and Randy said he has never been really satisfied with the results.

Next time, if there is a next time,I will freeze a handful of bees and then try to find a better lab.

I am not selling anymore cosmetics at the bees store. They bought quite a lot from me and still have some to sell which they hope to sell over Christmas.

Thanks guys for your help and concerns

Annette

RayMarler · November 14, 2009, 02:03:47 AM

It's sounding like they got into some poison or some bloom that is poison to them. I've had some hives with a few thousand bees writhering on the ground dying, but the hive as a whole survived and built back up afterwards.

From some readings I've done, seems like the tests come out with nothing conclusive as many contaminates are usually found so no one culprit or cause can be determined.

Sounds like your hive is pulling out of it, so best of luck Annette. How are the rest of your hives doing? did you pull any honey this year?

Cindi · November 14, 2009, 12:07:43 PM

Annette, I wonder if that was poisoning or not. When the wintertime "shutdown" is forthcoming, many, many of the summer bees die and you will see many, many bees dead out the front of the colony. Sometimes it is really hard to know if it is just nature, or if it has been a direct result of something awful. The fact that your colony is appearing strong, surely makes me think it was just the last of the summer bees dieing. Remember, if a few frames of bees emerge at the same time, they are pretty much going to die at the same time. Keep that chin up, I personally only think it is winter dying off bees. Keep us posted on how this colony is, would love to hear more. Have that wonderful and most awesome day, healthy good days. Cindi

rast · November 14, 2009, 08:37:08 PM

Make sure its not a mite crash. Get down on your hands and knees with some reading glasses and inspect them closely for deformed wings. Not all will show them, but a few will tell the story.

annette · November 15, 2009, 04:50:57 PM

Quote from: rast on November 14, 2009, 08:37:08 PM
Make sure its not a mite crash. Get down on your hands and knees with some reading glasses and inspect them closely for deformed wings. Not all will show them, but a few will tell the story.

I didn't inspect the dead bees in time, but I was able to get into the hive a few days after this happened and the bees in the hive looked really healthy to me. Of course, perhaps it is mites. Time will tell. This particular hive did a similar thing 2 years ago and came out fine. But the fact that it happened so suddenly, like a huge pile all at once leads me to believe it was pesticide poisoning. It isn't happening now.