A year ago this last spring I installed a package of ‘standard’ size Carniolans onto drawn out small
cell combs.  No treatments of any kind. They built up nicely and overwintered but not great,
having dwindled down quite a bit. The bees did build back up, but by mid summer of this year I
began seeing dead pupae on the ground in front of the hive.  Inside the hive I’d see an occasional
bee with deformed wings. Some of the drone brood I scratched open had 5 or 6 mites. I left things
alone to see if they would survive the mites. It appears they aren’t going to.  More bees began
appearing with deformed wings, phoretic mites were readily seen on workers, and P.M.S.
symptoms are in the brood combs just as one sees in the photos.

Also this last spring I put a package of Carniolans into a brand new top bar hive which is located
near the small cell hive. They have built up some nice combs, some of it smaller cell. Now they too
are having bees show up with deformed wings and phoretic mites. Unfortunately, without
intervention on my part, mites are still an issue with me.

Regards,
Dick Allen

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