Sick bees - can the queen be saved?

[tillie]

I have a hive that has dwindled since the spring began.  A week ago I gave them a frame of brood and eggs to see if they could do better with a booster.  The side of the hive has brown nosema looking spotting.  The hive is dying.  I saw the queen because there are only about two frames of bees at best.  I always use a clean hive tool on this hive and then put it in the dishwasher without putting it into any other hive.

There's not a bad smell, no signs of brood disease, but the hive is in terrible shape.  All the signs look like nosema to me - dwindling, no spring buildup, brown poop on the outside of the hive.

Should I just let this hive die? 
Would the queen also be sick with whatever the others have?

I will not use the frames anywhere else since I assume the protozoa for nosema may be in the wax? 

Linda

[Vance G]

The equipment will not transmit nosema spores if  they are empty for a while.  Nosema needs a live host I believe.  If you have some honeybee healthy, mix a pint of syrup with the HBH at least three times recommended strength and spray it on the bees as a drench.  The bees probably won't consume it that strong.  Research has shown that to work.  Don't drown them, just get everyone a little sticky early on a warm day.

[Steel Tiger]

Could it be the food, if you're feeding them?   The PH of sugar is 7...which is neutral, while the PH of honey is 3.4 on average...which is acidic. If you've ever owned tropical fish, then you know what a difference the PH can make. Hopefully Vance's suggestion will help out.
 Good luck with them

[tillie]

I only feed the bees their own honey back to them.  I haven't been feeding these bees. 

Linda

[Finski]

.
I was in same situation 2 weeks ago. Hive was big before cleansing flight and quite soon it hasd only cupfull of bees.

So I should arrange lots of bees from another hives to get the queen into productive hive.

well, I have several small colonies which need too more bees and I may help few hives instead of zero hive. And perhaps the queen is sick.


further more it is  better to abandon those disease genes from bee yards genepool.

.

[Michael Bush]

> Nosema needs a live host I believe.

Nosema makes spores.  Not as long lived as AFB (totally different genus and species...) but they can live a while.  The latest research seems to be that Nosema apis has virtually disappeared and that is the one that causes dysentery, and it has been replaced by Nosema cerana, which does not cause dysentery.

If it is Nosema apis, yes, the queen can (and often does) get it and it seriously affects her ability to perform.

Generally, though, feeding will clear up Nosema apis.  Just moving something through their digestive system flushes it out.