{"id":16,"date":"2009-03-22T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2009-03-22T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.westnyackhoney.com\/bees\/_blog\/?p=13"},"modified":"2009-03-22T13:00:00","modified_gmt":"2009-03-22T13:00:00","slug":"things-that-can-go-wrong-sick-bees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.westnyackhoney.com\/bees\/things-that-can-go-wrong-sick-bees\/","title":{"rendered":"Things that can go wrong – Sick Bees"},"content":{"rendered":"
I was very upset to read that bee colonies have very real problems with disease. Apart from killing the bees outright by mismanagement, bees suffer from a variety of health problems. In fact, almost 40% of all bee colonies die during the year. Many of them die over the winter, but disease, mismanagement and pests can threaten a beehive all year round.<\/p>\n
Here are the things to watch for.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Varroa Mites<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Probably the one problem that is bothering all beekeepers is Varroa mites. These mites attach themselves to bees, larva and pupa and weaken them. It is not an issue of whether or not you have these pests, but if they are enough to threaten the colony. Just about all hives have Varroa mite.<\/p>\n From the University of Kentucky Entomology web page:<\/p>\n Early detection of low levels of mite infestations is key to its successful management. While they can be spotted during colony inspection if present in high numbers, this tends to only identify larger infestations. There is a product available, Apistan, that will kill the mites and cause the mites to drop from the bees. Two strips should be hung in the brood nest area of the colony for approximately 4 weeks. This is to be used with sticky paper and a fine-mesh screen on the bottom board of a colony to capture any mites that may have been present. A considerable amount of cell cappings and other debris will also collect on the sticky paper, so it is best to inspect the sticky paper carefully for mites after removal. This method is able to detect low level infestations. Apistan strips are available from most of the large beekeeping suppliers and can be used both for detection and treatment of varroa infestations.<\/p>\n If a colony is found to be infested, all colonies at the site should be treated for mites with Apistan strips in the same manner. These strips contain the miticide fluvalinate and are not to be used during honey flow, or when there is surplus honey present in the colony that may be removed for human consumption at a later date. Therefore, late fall, after removal of surplus honey, or early spring, prior to honey flow, are the best times to treat for varroa mites.<\/p>\n <\/a>Acarine (Tracheal) mites<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Tracheal mites get into the throat of bees and choke them to death. This pretty much killed every bee in England, and it took a while before the British beekeepers could recover. The mite entered the U.S. in 1984 and is still spreading. Brother Adam at the Buckfast Abbey create a hybrid called the Buckfast Bee that is resistant to these deadly mites.<\/p>\n The mites are hard to detect without a microscope, but is treatable with a special grease patty made of vegetable oil and sugar. Sometimes menthol is added to the patty and it disrupts the mites.<\/p>\n Nosema<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Nosema is bee parasite that causes dysentery. It affects stressed bees, I am told, so it is important to treat bees that have been shipped to you as Bee Packages. It sometimes affects bees that are feeding on sugar water instead of honey.<\/p>\n The treatment is a shot of Fumigilin-B when you get the bees and once more in the fall to help the bees make it through the winter. A bottle with enough medicine to make 6 gallons is about $25.<\/p>\n