Jerry writes:
First impressions -- affected colonies have NO old bees,
nor are there any  dead bees in the hive or in front of the
hive -- often not even the normal die  off.  In most cases,
the queen is still present, and a cup or two of young  
bees are working hard to re-establish the colonies.  Brood
chewed out,  emerging adults stuck in cells, some with
tongues out.  Curious note, even  the hive beetles are gone
-- and none of the hives are being robbed out.   
Occasional wingless or deformed wing bee.

Reply:
Interesting! Would seem to me to be almost a failed
semi-annual broodnest turn driven by climate with majority
non-acclimitized bees and subfamily left the most in tune,
but then if they do successfully continue, will the queen
lay more subfamilies again not in accord, or will the bees
try to sift to hold. Also makes me wonder how much the
artificial additives of treatments/feed/movement is
effecting the needed acclimitizing.

Sincerely,

Dee 

 

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