Greetings to all.  I've been lurking on the list for several months but now
have a problem I really need some help with.
 
Although I think it would be somewhat unusual for a colony to be killed
off by Varroa at this time of year, I think that is what is happening right
now.  This is a colony that I started from a package in April (in Michigan)
and from which I harvested 2 medium supers of beautiful fully capped
honey the first week of Sept.  What I am seeing is dead pupae in open,
capped and partially uncapped cells; varroa running on the comb when I
poke at a cluster of bees with my finger; bees with their head stuck in
brood cells which back out when I tickle them, most of which are
deformed with short abdomens, and the very most rear parts that are
sticking out of the cells are dry and white. The population is WAY down,
the yellow jackets completely dominate the entrance, and I'm sure this
colony won't survive the autumn.  I suspected sacbrood when I first
saw this 3 weeks ago ( no bees sticking heads in the cells then ) but
now when I come back from vacation, things have deteriorated
dramatically and I see in "Hive and the Honeybee" that shrunken
abdomens and dead brood can be result of varroa kill.  That with actually
seeing 5 or 6 varroa running on a small area of comb when I poke at a
small cluster of bees has got me pretty much convinced that varroa are
doing them in.  I have never seen a description of a varroa killed colony
and have wondered how people know varroa are responsible for
overwinter losses.
 
Any help here?  What do I do with this colony?  What do I do with the
combs of dead brood after the colony has died off?
 
Thanks for any responses.
 
Alden Leatherman
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