> Cannot get them to take sugar syrup with Terramycin .. many drown is what
I am seeing even with lots of sticks in division board feeders.
Think about the above Dave. You have been keeping bees for years. This time
of year bees consume syrup fast if healthy. The hives I moved today will
take down a gallon before dark.
Hives with mid gut issues will simply go off feed. Documented and talked
about at bee meetings.
An inside feeder full of dead bees when the bees have screens, sticks etc.
to get to the syrup is not normal.
What you describe is textbook mid gut issues. Those which do not feed their
bees or open feed in barrels many times do not notice their bees going off
syrup (personal experience helping these beeks).
Diagnosis of bee issues is like watching a mystery on TV. You get a few
pieces of the puzzle at first then slowly you discover the rest of the
puzzle pieces. You almost never can solve the mystery at first because you
do not get the rest of the clues until the last fifteen minutes of the show.
The show always points you in the wrong direction at first and beekeepers
asking advice do the same.
>Are they just lost?
Maybe or maybe not but they will require a bunch of time and effort to turn
arround and I would guess half might not turn around.
> Just gave them honey frames this weekend since we have lots of pollen
> around but that doesn't get medicine into them.
terramycin has no effect on the mid gut issues I see (personal experience)
>I'll take any ideas on this.
Dump the feeder
Clean out the feeder and disinfect with a Clorox solution.( leave the
solution on the feeder for 15 minutes)
replace with a *thin *solution of syrup containing fumigillin
Make a fumigillin drench ( as per label) and treat the bees.
Drench once a week until the bees start to improve.
3-4 drenches may be needed.
If the bees start to turn around I might have other suggestions.
All deadouts need treated with a Clorox solution or acetic acid.
Good luck!
Doc
Back to moving bees.
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