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Author Topic: Is this dysentery or nosema? [Pic]  (Read 4703 times)

Offline Rurification

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Is this dysentery or nosema? [Pic]
« on: January 14, 2013, 09:24:28 am »
I checked the bees and one hive looked like this when I opened it.    Messy.   They had been super active as soon as the temps popped up toward 50.    When I saw this, I figured they'd been doing mega cleansing flights. 

They were lower on stores than I wanted, so we fed 5lbs dry sugar.   Can I just let them be?

You should be able to click the pic to biggify. 


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Offline tefer2

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Re: Is this dysentery or nosema? [Pic]
« Reply #1 on: January 14, 2013, 09:36:32 am »
Do your entrances look like that too? Google, honeybee dysentery pics!

Offline Finski

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Re: Is this dysentery or nosema? [Pic]
« Reply #2 on: January 14, 2013, 10:15:25 am »
were lower on stores than I wanted, so we fed 5lbs dry sugar.   Can I just let them be?



It seems that the colony is under minimum size. No hope.
Have you looked mites?
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Offline tefer2

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Re: Is this dysentery or nosema? [Pic]
« Reply #3 on: January 14, 2013, 10:22:38 am »
I think that you will have to test a sample of bees to know if they had Nosema for sure.

Offline BjornBee

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Re: Is this dysentery or nosema? [Pic]
« Reply #4 on: January 14, 2013, 10:27:56 am »
Yes it is dysentery. Many things can cause dysentery, including nosema.

But the only way to know if it is nosema, would be testing.

Nosema causes dysentery, but not all dysentery is from nosema.

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Offline danno

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Re: Is this dysentery or nosema? [Pic]
« Reply #5 on: January 14, 2013, 02:34:28 pm »
Back in 2008 I used fondant for winter emerg. feed.   It kept them alive but they painted the top bars just like yours.  As Bjorn stated many thing can cause it.

Offline Rurification

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Re: Is this dysentery or nosema? [Pic]
« Reply #6 on: January 14, 2013, 02:42:14 pm »
Do your entrances look like that too? Google, honeybee dysentery pics!

Top entrance has a few streaks.  Very dark gold.   Not as dark as the pics I'm seeing when I google honey bee dysentery and nosema.

When we pulled the bottom board to check for mites I didn't find any.  Even with a magnifying glass.  

Maybe it was the fall honey.   The other hive looks OK.
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Offline tefer2

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Re: Is this dysentery or nosema? [Pic]
« Reply #7 on: January 14, 2013, 03:20:20 pm »
I can't offer anything that you can do in this weather to help them.  :(

Offline BjornBee

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Re: Is this dysentery or nosema? [Pic]
« Reply #8 on: January 14, 2013, 03:38:53 pm »
I can't offer anything that you can do in this weather to help them.  :(

Put the lid back on?  :idunno:

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Offline tefer2

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Re: Is this dysentery or nosema? [Pic]
« Reply #9 on: January 14, 2013, 04:53:44 pm »
When I first started out, some fellow beeks suggested that I put pollen patties on in the fall. Said they will use it in the spring to raise brood. Sounded like a good idea at the time.
 When the later part of January rolled around, we had a couple of warm days. The front of those hives were covered with spotting like yours. None of them made it to the spring. I learned my lesson with feeding them solids when they have to hold it very long.
 I'm not saying that was your problem, just my experience with fall feeding pollen patties.
I still have one every couple of winters that get this condition. I guess it's just a bee thing. :bee:

Offline Sparky

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Re: Is this dysentery or nosema? [Pic]
« Reply #10 on: January 14, 2013, 07:40:15 pm »
Like Finski mentioned, they will be hard pressed to make it the rest of the winter with so few in numbers. I had one a couple of years ago that had more dysentery looking frames than that in your pics. and a fist size more bees than yours that made it but that was in the spring. I reduced the space to one box that contained the cluster. They rebounded and made enough bees to go into winter the following year but did not produce any extra stores.

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Is this dysentery or nosema? [Pic]
« Reply #11 on: January 15, 2013, 02:46:50 pm »
Dysentery is like liquid that has splattered and dried.  In your picture it looks like it stands up.  I'd say it's propolis.
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Offline Finski

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Re: Is this dysentery or nosema? [Pic]
« Reply #12 on: January 15, 2013, 03:05:54 pm »
Dysentery is like liquid that has splattered and dried.  In your picture it looks like it stands up.  I'd say it's propolis.


When you snap the pic larger, it is clearly poo-
There are several dead bees too in that bee group and abdomen swollen.
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