On Wed, 20 Sep 1995, Alden Leatherman wrote:
 
>
> Although I think it would be somewhat unusual for a colony to be killed
> off by Varroa at this time of year, I think that is what is happening right
> now.  This is a colony that I started from a package in April (in Michigan)
> and from which I harvested 2 medium supers of beautiful fully capped
> honey the first week of Sept.  What I am seeing is dead pupae in open,
> capped and partially uncapped cells; varroa running on the comb when I
> poke at a cluster of bees with my finger; bees with their head stuck in
> brood cells which back out when I tickle them, most of which are
> deformed with short abdomens, and the very most rear parts that are
> sticking out of the cells are dry and white. The population is WAY down,
> the yellow jackets completely dominate the entrance, and I'm sure this
> colony won't survive the autumn.  I suspected sacbrood when I first
> saw this 3 weeks ago ( no bees sticking heads in the cells then ) but
> now when I come back from vacation, things have deteriorated
> dramatically and I see in "Hive and the Honeybee" that shrunken
> abdomens and dead brood can be result of varroa kill.  That with actually
> seeing 5 or 6 varroa running on a small area of comb when I poke at a
> small cluster of bees has got me pretty much convinced that varroa are
> doing them in.  I have never seen a description of a varroa killed colony
> and have wondered how people know varroa are responsible for
> overwinter losses.
>
> Any help here?  What do I do with this colony?  What do I do with the
> combs of dead brood after the colony has died off?
>
>
I hived a swarm in the spring that was doing very well until now.  At
this time they are over run by mites and are on their last leg.  Mites
may not be directly responsible during this time of the year, but given
other factors, mites can send them over the edge.  Thankfully they are
many miles away from my other colonies.
 
Pete, NJ
 
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