Dysentry?

[sussexbaker]

Hi all

Looking at one of my hives this morning I noticed that the entrance was covered in some sort of gunk. I didn't look yesterday, but I'm sure there wasn't any there the day before, and I took a photo the day before that which clearly shows it wasn't present. It's a very weak colony, I've yet to open it up fully (the weather refuses to coincide with my working schedule). It was two brood boxes which I reduced down to one, and there's 1kg of fondant on it although when I last looked they'd not touched it. Is it dysentry?

Photo of hive entrance

 

[B+.]

Is it dysentry?
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No. The yellow is pollen. thats a good sign.

Dysentery would appear as dark stains down the face of the comb or the front of the hive. e.g. http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/gallery/displayImage.cfm?image=460

Have a good season

 

[sussexbaker]

No. The yellow is pollen. thats a good sign.

Dysentry would appear as dark stains down the face of the comb or the front of the hive. e.g. http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/gallery/displayImage.cfm?image=460

Have a good season

Hiya

I did Google dysentery and saw that it looked darker, why would there have been such a large pollen drop at the entrance? It's a very weak colony and there's been very little activity from it.

Thanks

 

[B+.]

why would there have been such a large pollen drop at the entrance?

Although we say the pollen is stored in "pollen baskets", it isn't really a basket. It is just a tuft of hairs which the bee packs pollen in/around. Consequently, pollen does fall off.
At the moment, I am looking at hive debris under a microscope to count varroa mites. You'd be amazed at the pollen and other debris that ends up on the floor of a beehive.
I notice you said that there wasn't much activity, but, there is time yet. Your narrow entrance block will constrict any activity (I use mesh rather than an entrance block. It keeps out predators/vermin and allows ventilation) not that I recommend taking it out quite yet. If the weather stays warm and activity increases, then you can remove it

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

At the moment, I am looking at hive debris under a microscope to count varroa mites.

And I thought I had problems with my eyes!

 

[sussexbaker]

Although we say the pollen is stored in "pollen baskets", it isn't really a basket. It is just a tuft of hairs which the bee packs pollen in/around. Consequently, pollen does fall off.
At the moment, I am looking at hive debris under a microscope to count varroa mites. You'd be amazed at the pollen and other debris that ends up on the floor of a beehive.
I notice you said that there wasn't much activity, but, there is time yet. Your narrow entrance block will constrict any activity (I use mesh rather than an entrance block. It keeps out predators/vermin and allows ventilation) not that I recommend taking it out quite yet. If the weather stays warm and activity increases, then you can remove it

I spent some time on Sunday watching the hives, there was hardly anything from that hive whilst the hive next to it had a constant flow of bees. I had my wife pop out to have a look and she's reported back that both hives are busy to a similar level at the moment, so maybe that hive is bouncing back.

Thanks for the help

 

[B+.]

And I thought I had problems with my eyes!

I'm only using 20* magnification but I know what you mean. My eyes are definitely out of whack. My wife (who was trained as a Medicinal Chemist) still wears her glasses while using a microscope but I find that I end up banging them on the eyepieces so I take mine off to use it. I guess she just hasn't trained me properly!
I also find some varroa mites that have their carapace bitten so much that they are hard to recognise as mites. They still have to be counted as part of the initial infestation figure.

 

[B+.]

Thanks for the help

You're welcome. Happy to be of assistance

There can be quite a difference between one colony and the next at this time of year. Don't worry, they'll even out.

 

[sussexbaker]

You're welcome. Happy to be of assistance

There can be quite a difference between one colony and the next at this time of year. Don't worry, they'll even out.

I knew there would be, the 'busy' hive is AMM whilst the weak hive is...well the last queen in it was one of the LASI hygenic queens, but I managed to get her killed so some sort of offspring of hers!

 

[sussexbaker]

Sadly opened it up on Saturday morning and the hive was dead. A few dead bees on comb but otherwise no occupants. Watching later it looks like it was the neighbouring hive robbing it.