Workers dragging out other workers. (not drones)

spafmagic · July 26, 2019, 08:26:54 PM

From a convenient spot where I can sit down and watch my hive, I've noticed on a few occasions recently that some living worker bees were being evicted like drones would be. Would that possibly imply a high mite population?

iddee · July 26, 2019, 10:22:55 PM

More than likely. I would do a sugar roll and get a count on them. It's time to treat prior to the rearing of winter bees. You don't want to wait. Your winter bee eggs are being layed now.

spafmagic · July 26, 2019, 10:26:13 PM

ok... will test for them, and treat accordingly.

Donovan J · July 27, 2019, 09:35:49 PM

They could also have chronic bee paralysis. Thats what a few of mine had and they are being dragged out.

spafmagic · July 28, 2019, 10:29:33 AM

Here are a few clips of activity as of 8:30 AM the day of this post. Maybe it might help to clarify things a bit?

This is what I see happening after they drag a worker out... they seem to fight like cats then they all fly off, the one they were dragging out usually is ok and flies away too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRzPO1mJwEU&feature=youtu.be

All the other vids are "surface activity"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GCldl-bDQs&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3Bz7f5iazQ&feature=youtu.be

TheHoneyPump · July 28, 2019, 01:00:25 PM

Kicking out the robbing scouts.
That entrance feeder is the source of the troubles.

spafmagic · July 28, 2019, 03:21:35 PM

Quote from: TheHoneyPump on July 28, 2019, 01:00:25 PM
Kicking out the robbing scouts.

Robbing scouts eh? Someone's not feeding his/her bees if that's the case. Still... me thinkst it'd be prudent to check mite levels Monday... when the bee supply store is open. This way if it's bad, I can get some Formic Pro and treat them the same day.

*edit*
This is my only hive, so if they are robbing scouts, they must be within 3 to 5 miles of me, I'd think.

BeeMaster2 · July 28, 2019, 07:35:01 PM

Yes. Robbing scouts, they could bee from any hive within that range. I recommend you at minimum, reduce the bottom entrance.
Jim Altmiller

spafmagic · July 29, 2019, 02:01:37 PM

Will do. On the plus side, I just did an alcohol wash, have *edit* gotten those ( speech recognition sometimes gets the wrong word) *edit* off of a brood frame, and no mites have actually come off. I must have gotten the Queen from a very hygienic source.

Now I just got to get more Beetle blasters to keep the hive beetles under control