James Fischer said "But do you see the quivering, staggering, dying bees, the ones that show
neurological symptoms? If you don't, then this would narrow the list of
suspect pesticides dramatically, as I have always considered the symptoms of
the dying bees to be a better indicator of pesticide exposure, and I have
seen no pesticide kills that did not include bees exhibiting these symptoms"
well I have a hive that started doing this 3 weeks ago with a large pile of bees in the front of the hive, the front of the hive covered with bees to check out the incoming bees. Its in an urban area, the golf course and two small fields of soy beans say they haven't sprayed anything. I have had pesticide kills before but they never lasted this long. I have buried the dead bees, the ones in the hive if you watch them their bodies turn darker, they stagger and they start dragging their two hind legs.
the honey supers have all kinds of dead bees between the frames at the end, both drone and workers, the brood looks perfectly normal, nice and white. It has rained for the last 6 days over 6 inches of rain, so if they were getting it from outside the hive it would have been washed off by now. none of the dead bees outside of the hive have pollen in their baskets, mite count is low no dwv showing.
has me stumped, if the pollen was contaminated the dead bees would have had pollen on them, so I assume if its pesticides it has to be in the honey/nectar but the hive is loaded with brood, entire frames capped with an excellent pattern, if it was in the nectar I would expect the uncapped and capped brood to be more spotty.
The number of bees in the hive is declining slightly and the # of hive beetles is increasing so I assume at some point I will have to take out the hive. Anyone have any ideas, I have already marked the hives to burn after they succumb but am monitoring for my own curiosity. Having no idea what it is what could be tested?
thanks mike(Syracuse ny)
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