My bees are dying

[Tightwad]

My strong hive has bees on the ground acting like they are drunk!!!  I have found a lot of bees under the hive and out in the yard. I just put on a super yesterday. I saw this a couple  of days ago. it's not the super I'm thinking they mite of got into sum thing. We are cleaning up after a tornado hit my neighborhood ?

[Kathyp]

any mosquito spraying going on?  didn't you all get a lot of rain with those storms?

[thatguy324]

sounds like nosema to me

[Tightwad]

We did get a lot of rain. And I haven't heard the spraying truck out. But We do go to bead vary early, the bees are going out like mad. And after 3pm they are comeing in and it's a really wild mess of bees.

[RHBee]

Nosema leaves evidence. Do you see a lot of stains on the outside of the hive? Is there plenty of food stores? Could be poison. I would open them up and evaluate.

Sent from my SPH-L300 using Tapatalk 2

[Tightwad]

If it was nosema wouldn't they have diarrhea ?

[Tightwad]

I was in the hive two days ago and all look good lot of brud and food no staining in or out!!  I put on a super I don't us Smoke I spray them with sugar water. I dent make new sugar water I sued the sugar water from a week ago I hope this water was OK?  I dent put it in the fridge but it was in the house.

[Tightwad]

My one hive is still not right. They are all over the ground and we found a lot on the wall where there is a porch lite. And a big pile by the back door?  My poor dogs are getting strong by walking on them. And when I'm in the yard the bees trying to clime up your leg. The bees on the ground look normal there wings Arenot in a k form. I hope this is not going to kill my hive ?  I'm  upset I don't know what to do for them.  :?

[BAH]

The only thing I can say is; don't stress out. I know it sounds like you're hopeless but sometimes nature must take it's course. I say don't stress because I believe a stressed beek leads to stressed bees. Some places don't use a truck to spray for mosquitos, some places spray using other methods like plane and/or helicopter etc. Have you popped your head in yet to get an update about inside the hive?

[Tightwad]

No not yet I see they ain't doing a lot of foraging now. This is a Nuck I installed 5 weeks ago. I was in the hive three days ago and they had one moor frame to fill so I but on a neather brud box on.
All look OK to me I'm finding bees all over my yard now!!  The ether hive is looking alright it is a older hive from a swarm.

[beek1951]

Well there you go. With Summertime temps when you spray
with sugar water it sticks their wings down to their abdomens
and dries and they can't fly, act drunk and finally die. Use smoke,
there is a reason we have been doing that for 300 years. Don't
try to reinvent the wheel. <g>

[Tightwad]

You Really  thing that was the problem?? I used sugar water on both of the hives with no problems!!
The clubs say spray your packed of bees with sugar water as well. When you install a new packed of bees ?
Any one  think my problem is that I am using sugar water?

[BAH]

Good call beek1951, but hard to say, without being there. Tightwad I don't spray my bees with sugar water barely use smoke. I think the best idea is to call your local bee club and have someone in the area look at your bees. I myself hate to ask others for help, but this time you don't have time to waste! Save your bees and get someone to check it out. Good luck.

[beek1951]

I never spray bees with sugar water because before another bee
can groom it off, it dries. Yes I believe that is the problem from
what you described. When installing packages I spray with plain
water or water and Honey-B-Healthy.

[Leather Jim]

I'm with you Bah, no sugar water spray... Ever... And very little if any smoke.  Move slow and it's all good.

[Tightwad]

OK will do thanks for all you help. And all so has any one find your bees going to your out side lights. I have two flood  lights on my back yard and I'm finding 20 or moor dead bees under them Avery day now. This just started ?

[WarPonyFarms]

hmmm....

That sounds an awful lot like Zombee symptoms.

Infection by zombie flies causes unusual behavior in honey bees. Specifically, it causes them to fly out of their hives at night. Once out of the hive, they fly towards a light source as many insects do. But unlike other insects at a light source, the infected honey bees become disoriented and lose their balance; eventually they die.

Collect your dead honey bees and place them into a resealable container, something like a mason jar. Then watch for larvae that crawl out from the necks of the bees—right between the head and the thorax. You also look for pupae and then wait to see if they hatch into adult flies.

ZomBeeWatch.org has more information.

Good luck

[Tightwad]

Dang it scour looks like my bees mite have this I just went out and collected sum bees from the yard. And tonight or in the morning I will collect moor then mark them and what 7 days and see what happens !,

[L Daxon]

Yes, bees flying toward a light source at night is a symptom of Zombie bees but I haven't heard of that being in Missouri yet.  Had only been found in 3 states last I read. They also walk sometimes around in a circle as if one foot is nailed to the floor.

Some of  the symptoms you described sounded like Nosema Cerane.  You don't necessarily see a lot of diarrhea  with that.  Can treat with Fumagilian B.  They definitely got something.  Good luck diagnosing it.

Linda D in OKC

[Kathyp]

K.I.S.S.

you have been given a number of ideas.  i'd start with the sugar water spray.  use smoke.  you'll want to do that anyway as we go toward fall or you'll have robbing and pissy bees.

bees going to the light doesn't seem odd to me.  turn them off or have them come on later when the bees are all inside.

the other stuff you can check, but i think your solution will turn out to be something fairly simple.