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Date: | Fri, 4 Nov 2005 20:14:53 GMT |
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>>I started to see bees with small...deformed wings held parallel and tightly against the abdomen.
A classic symptom of varroa-vectored virus. Such deformed wings are common in treated colonies starting in August when the varroa population is reaching a peak.
I had a similar observation which may possibly be attributable to a different cause. I had a number of feral brood combs that were exposed to cold temps around 50F for several hours. When I got home I placed the combs in an empty box and shook in the bees from my bee vac. I inspected a week and a half later and saw a few young bees with deformed wings.
I was surprised because I did not see any deformed wings or varroa when I collected these bees. I went through the feral combs very thorougly during the inspection looking for varroa - usually very easy to spot when deformed wings are seen - but did not see a single varroa.
Here are my questions:
1. Can exposure to cold arrest pupae development and result in deformed wings?
2. Can the deformed wing virus spread by means other than varroa?
>>The colony had a good but not outstanding working field force
Varroa affects the longevity of the bees. It takes a while for the numbers to recover in a sustainable way.
>>If this is deformed wing virus, should I destroy the colony?
I would not. If you have beat varroa back, the colony should recover and be fine until you reach the next varroa pop. peak.
>>What happens if the queen has the virus?
I have not heard that varroa goes after the queen. Perhaps they are less attracted to her scents.
Waldemar
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