K wing advice needed please

[dano41]

Hi,have got k wing bees in hive lots of dead bees on the open mesh floor a lot of them with small abdomens.There is no mite drop at all on test board the rest of the bees flying really well brood combs perfect sealed and layed right up to the edge.Is this tracheal mites and what should I do about it?

[greenbtree]

How much is "a lot"?  Do you see live bees with "really small abdomens"?

JC

[dano41]

Thank you very much for taking the time to reply.There were hundreds of bees on floor didnt notice any live small abdomen bees.

[kathyp]

how old is the hive?  depending on the time of the year, 100's of bees dead is not surprising.  when is the last time you cleaned off the bottom board?   

some K wing bees seems to be pretty normal. how many do you think you have?

does the hive seem otherwise healthy?  good brood and good brood  pattern.  plenty of food for them?

[dano41]

Hi.last years queen, replaced box and open mesh floor in April that was the last time I cleaned floor.the brood pattern is very good and the plenty of activity from hive.

[greenbtree]

I would say that with the rest of the hive thriving as you have stated that I would not be concerned.  Just as you can get surges of bees being born, you can get the same when they die because a group will be of a similar age.  As to the smaller abdomens on the dead bees, my best guess would just be drying out after death - the abdomen is the most flexible part and could shrink as it dried.  Just a guess though since you stated you saw none with the live bees.

JC

[dano41]

Thanks for that reply.Only moved over to open mesh last year never thought about the extra drying affect of the air flowing through the mesh.

[qa33010]

    Tracheal mites were a problem for one of my hives (swarm) about four years ago.  I seldom see K-wing at all after that.  They did supercede their queen, so I guess that brought in the resistance.