Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => DISEASE & PEST CONTROL => Topic started by: Bee-Bop on February 15, 2009, 10:42:45 pm

Title: Bees leaving hives thousand twiching & dieing on ground
Post by: Bee-Bop on February 15, 2009, 10:42:45 pm: Talking to a beekeeper today, He's been a beekeeper for a number of years.
He has 8 hives and has lost 3 so far this year.

The ground in front of the hives are covered with bees, he said at least a thousand in front of each hive, they appear to be kinda twitching before they die. They appear to have noseama, a yellowish runny discharge.

I don't have all the facts I'm sure but I told him I'd ask here on the board.

He is in South Central Missouri, the weather has been a few days in the 50-60's mostly in the 40 + and Low 30's at night.

Bees have been bring pollen in heavy for about 1 1/2 or 2 weeks on nice days.

Any ideas will be appreciated.
Thanks

Bee-Bop
Title: Re: Bees leaving hives thousand twiching & dieing on ground
Post by: Brian D. Bray on February 16, 2009, 01:23:07 am: The yellowish runny substance does sound like Nosema.
Title: Re: Bees leaving hives thousand twiching & dieing on ground
Post by: RayMarler on February 16, 2009, 02:02:42 am: thousands on ground twitching could be from poison also, perhaps from herbicide sprays?
Title: Re: Bees leaving hives thousand twiching & dieing on ground
Post by: BjornBee on February 16, 2009, 07:21:50 am: I agree with the poisoning.

Bees also at this time of the year, will collect about anything. Sawdust, seed/feed dust, etc. So maybe they are getting into something they normally would not.

If the bees can get out regularly, and are still pooping all over the hive, I would also look at feeding. Is he feeding, or was he feeding all winter? And at this time, the bees could be using up bad or poor pollen stored months go, yet only feeling the full effects now.

You really need to analyze many things that may be playing off of each other.
Title: Re: Bees leaving hives thousand twiching & dieing on ground
Post by: Beaver Dam on March 16, 2009, 08:54:49 pm: Have any ants in hive?
Title: Re: Bees leaving hives thousand twiching & dieing on ground
Post by: JP on March 17, 2009, 12:57:34 am: When they are poisoned they don't twitch, they spin around like a top, then zing down the path several yards away, they may come to a stop then go into spinning again.

I would ask if he's fed them lately and what?

...JP
Title: Re: Bees leaving hives thousand twiching & dieing on ground
Post by: Cockatoo on March 29, 2009, 01:19:31 pm: I was literally just reading about IAPV.
These are the exact symptoms mentioned.

From Scientific American (http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=saving-the-honeybee)
Title: Re: Bees leaving hives thousand twiching & dieing on ground
Post by: turkey on May 31, 2009, 12:18:06 am: does anybody have any info on IAPV? all i can find on symptoms is wing twitching and pile of dead bees in front of hive. is there a cure?