winter dysentery?

[Bridget]

Had a very quick peek the other day to check on the fondant situation. Still plenty left but my Nuc was covered with poo inside. Some of the bees from the hives have been out recently but I've not seen the nuc bees out for ages. Today it got a bit warmer (8 degrees) so I opened the entrance to the nuc fully with the sun on it and they began coming out and a few flying around. No sign of poo in the other hives. Do you think it's just from not getting out and about? Can I treat them with anything? I shan't be able to give the nuc a tidy up in this weather.



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[drumgerry]

Not sure if there's anything you can really do at this time of year Bridget. In days gone by a preventative of Fumidil B (an antibiotic) was given in the autumn. Dysentery can be a symptom of nosema - if they don't build up in Spring this might be your smoking gun. And some would say that overwintering a colony with heather honey stores can give rise to dysentery but none of mine seem the worse for wear for having a few brood frames of heather honey. If you can get them to Spring you can put them on to clean kit and foundation/combs and clean and sterilise the soiled stuff.

Ps - I think the heather honey thing is due to it having a higher water content than ordinary blossom honey

[Bridget]

Thanks Gerry, Their stores will be a mixture I think as I don't seem to get enough to warrant calling it heather honey. But it's the same every year and anyway I expect it's mainly fondant their eating now. I'll be watching for nosema.
BTW when do yours start laying eggs again? Approximately? I realise it will be different for cold and warmer areas but I had presumed it was April and now realise that it's probably earlier.


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[drumgerry]

Much earlier than April Bridget. I think it's generally considered that the queen will start to lay again in late winter at the centre of the cluster. But I've never opened them up at this time to check of course. Late winter for you and me I guess might be around now-ish.

[Bridget]

Reading this months bee magazine I see that when Alan Riach recovered his damaged hives from under a tree he found a 7cm diameter of sealed and unsealed brood. That's the answer for Edinburgh then!


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[Bridget]

I can see that my bees are still uncapping stores (as well as eating the fondant) from putting white paper on the inspection board. I will have to learn the difference between the debris from stores and the debris from capped brood.


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[HJBee]

Found this link on Twitter, it's from America, hence the word poop is used a lot but thought it was quite good for average person, probably has nothing new for the seasoned beekeepers on the forum
https://bees4communities.wordpress.c...-the-bee-yard/

[mbc]

Found this link on Twitter, it's from America, hence the word poop is used a lot but thought it was quite good for average person, probably has nothing new for the seasoned beekeepers on the forum
https://bees4communities.wordpress.c...-the-bee-yard/

Yeah, that lost me at the point it made out protein patties encouraged brood rearing due to the warmth of the fermenting Pattie.

[Poly Hive]

Mobus did a fair bit of mid winter research and it is not at all uncommon to have brooding in mid winter. Mainly as I understand it to reduce water in the environment. Re the nuc are they insulated?

The Mobus papers are on my site and very widely read too. http://poly-hive.co.uk/recourses/mob...and-wintering/

PH

[Bridget]

"Colonies smaller than optimum size and we all had our doubts about some stocks, even nuclei, at the start of a winter, will have more bees in the cold, outer shell, all making great efforts to stay alive by converting honey into heat-and accumulating more and more ‘waste water’ within the totality of the cluster. The centre being small, no movements in or out of the cluster centre can cope with the situation and, only cleansing flights can theoretically bring relief. When these are not possible, it seems that dysenteric conditions must come about, forcing bees to defecate in the hive, on combs."
I nteresting Polyhive -that could give me my answer as it is a small nucleus with a late Queen and not been seen out when the other bees were flying. It is a poly nuc so insulated. Thanks for the interesting link.


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