ericthebee
New Bee
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Posts: 19
Location: Sydney Australia
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« on: March 05, 2006, 12:37:40 AM » |
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out of 4 hives I have just discoverd i dead smelly hive. Its was last opened xmas eve. I'ts been very hot many many days in the 40's and high humitity here in Syd Australia. This hive smells sour like vinegar, no brood at all (to test) , a few moths a few wasps a stream of tiny ants going in there is honey in the top box, but seems to be "melting" the bottom  although its not hot today, its just running down and out the bottom box,(they are all dark old combs from someone else) its a rust brown colour. there appear to be 1/4 inch white maggots (2 -3 per bottom frame. ) a few hollowed out bee carcarses with bits missing. M2 of my other hives looked like they might want to swam a few weeks ago althoughg its too late, so maybe all the bees moved out ? Hive was from a swam 2 years ago. anyone got any clues out there. I put it all back together cleaned up & replaced all bee water supplies around, some smelt ! & blocked up the bottom entry with newspaper while I work out what to do. |
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TwT
Senior Forum
Global Moderator
Galactic Bee
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Posts: 3384
Location: Walker, La.
Ted
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« Reply #1 on: March 05, 2006, 12:59:08 AM » |
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Hate to hear you losed a hive, but the way you are describing it almost sound like SHB, Beetles defecate in honey and cause it to ferment, and you talking about maggots, could be SHB larva, look at these pics below and see if your looks like this. http://home.elmore.rr.com/kingbeeapiary/feedback.htm |
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THAT's ME TO THE LEFT JUST 5 YEARS FROM NOW!!!!!!!!
Never be afraid to try something new.
Amateurs built the ark,
Professionals built the Titanic
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ericthebee
New Bee
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Posts: 19
Location: Sydney Australia
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« Reply #2 on: March 05, 2006, 01:25:08 AM » |
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Yes although I've only about 20 of these 'maggots" all up. I can't find many beatles. I will check out how to clean it all up I guess.
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amymcg
House Bee
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Posts: 458
Location: Eastern Massachusetts
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« Reply #3 on: March 05, 2006, 07:10:58 AM » |
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Ted,
Everytime I see those pictures they give me the creeps. I'm SO glad I live in the north.
Amy
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Jay
House Bee
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Posts: 471
Location: Concord, MA
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« Reply #4 on: March 05, 2006, 09:28:40 PM » |
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Amy, We have SHB here in the Northeast! It's not as bad as in the South, but they're here! Keep an eye skinned! A weak hive can still suffer!  |
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By the rude bridge that arched the flood
Their flag to Aprils breeze unfurled
Here once the embattled farmers stood
And fired the shot heard round the world
-Emerson
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gsferg
House Bee
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Posts: 56
Location: Whitefield, Maine
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« Reply #5 on: March 06, 2006, 06:41:39 AM » |
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>We have SHB here in the Northeast!
Yeah we do. I got a few in some nucs that came from down south, now it appears they're able to winter over in some circumstances. If your hives are strong they'll handle them, but small/weak hives can fall prey to those little buggers and it's ugly. I agree Amy... I looked at those pictures once and that was enough...
I've found that screened bottom boards help- the bees will drive the beetles down below the screen where they're happy to hang out and they'll even raise some babies on the wax and pollen debris that falls through. Clean `em out regularly.
George-
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"So long, and thanks for all the fish"
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Understudy
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« Reply #6 on: March 06, 2006, 08:26:21 AM » |
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I love those pics. Now I am hungry for Chinese with extra rice.  Sincerely, Brendhan |
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The status is not quo. The world is a mess and I just need to rule it. Dr. Horrible
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Jay
House Bee
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Posts: 471
Location: Concord, MA
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« Reply #7 on: March 06, 2006, 03:53:12 PM » |
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Don't laugh, one of the members in our bee club sells his drone brood cut-outs for IPM to a local Chinise resturant. Aparently, the larvae is a delicacy. I think he said he gets $6 per frame! |
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By the rude bridge that arched the flood
Their flag to Aprils breeze unfurled
Here once the embattled farmers stood
And fired the shot heard round the world
-Emerson
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amymcg
House Bee
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Posts: 458
Location: Eastern Massachusetts
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« Reply #9 on: March 06, 2006, 06:35:28 PM » |
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. . *has decided not to eat any Chinese in Concord. . .*
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Apis629
Field Bee
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Posts: 822
Location: Florida
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« Reply #10 on: March 06, 2006, 07:23:31 PM » |
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On the topic of SHB in the south I've seen first hand what they can do. Luckily, they've only once affected my bees in a big mannor ( the hive was weak and then turned into a giant mass of larvae, dead bees and slime...smelled like rotting oranges) Probably the worst instance I've ever seen SHB was in a hive removal from a nearby property. The bees weren't mine given my hive had never swarmed (still have the origional queen with white dot) but I thought I'd try to help out. I was told there were still plenty of bees but, the occupants of the hive had gon when they fell the tree, only robber bees were left. Anyways, the combs were sanwitched between each other from the impact and had to be pealed apart. The hive had been down for a day but the new, white combs on the outer fringes were dark with SHB adults. Between each sheet of comb were thousands. They were everywhere. With SHB and varroa it's a 1, 2 punch.
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