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susan rudnickiParticipant
Missy—I tried and see it will NOT post. Something is wrong with this site. You probably don’t know it. then, that your first reply to try to post the photos went up as “hidden” as well.
susan rudnickiParticipantYes, you are not seeing the same thing I am. I copied and pasted the relevant lines as they appear to me and you can see they look different. Things are messed up. I will try to copy and paste the “hidden” wording and see if it will go up here.
susan rudnickiParticipantLook at the top of the post —here—
Poisoned bees?
Home › Forums › HoneyLove Forum › Poisoned bees?This topic contains 7 replies (+ 4 hidden), has 3 voices, and was last updated by Melissa Ozeas 1 hour, 23 minutes ago.
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susan rudnickiParticipantLook at the top of the post —here—
Poisoned bees?
Home › Forums › HoneyLove Forum › Poisoned bees?This topic contains 7 replies (+ 4 hidden), has 3 voices, and was last updated by Melissa Ozeas 1 hour, 23 minutes ago.
Viewing 8 posts – 1 through 8 (of 8 total)
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susan rudnickiParticipantAlso, to add to the conversation—I have just discovered a large number of crawlers on the ground in my chicken yard. I traced the bees to a nearby nuc that seems to be devastated by a poisoning event. They were a small cutout on the 22nd, and were doing very well, having repaired the combs and hatching brood. Now, the box is full of bees just sitting around barely moving, or dropping off the box and frames. The ones barely alive are being rabidly attacked by Argentine ants.
susan rudnickiParticipantAny readers—be aware, this site is “hiding” some posts for reasons unknown. The posts I put up were to help illuminate Missy’s problem with poisoned bees, but the website is malfunctioning, with a label “This topic contains 4 replies (+ 4 hidden), has 3 voices, and was last updated by susan rudnicki 8 hours, 12 minutes ago.” Click on the “+4 hidden) and my post on diagnosing and reporting bee poisoning losses will show.
susan rudnickiParticipantI have had several incidents of poisoning and have posted the photos and responses reporting to authorities on the HL Forum. Please use the Search button to input “report pesticide poisoning” and the posts will show up. Please DO report to Michele Colopy of the Pollinator Stewardship Council. I just sent a response to a post at the LB Beekeepers Club regarding this very issue. Here is that post—please read the whole thing!!
Yes, it is likely a poisoning incident. One of my big hives (4 deeps) was poisoned two times, 8 mos apart. Its great mass may have been the only saving grace. The bees feed on a rich forage source, bring it back to the hive, poison the house bees, but the queen is spared since her food comes from her retinue that directly feed her and they are not in the house bee circuit. Both times my big hive survived, but it took a long time to recover. I also picked up a small cutout colony last week that is exhibiting poisoning symptoms. Bees flipping over, flying erratically, dead bees all around the site they were taken. Now that I have them home, the remainders are ignoring the brood combs and just sitting on the top bars, under the lid, apparently quietly awaiting death.
Michelle Colopy at the Pollinator Stewardship Council urges all beeks to send her the stats on your incident, with photos if possible, and she will file official reports to the EPA and the CA Dept of Pesticide Regulation. She says the bureaucrats will insist nothing bad is happening if we fail to report.The Pollinator Stewardship Council has been encouraging beekeepers to report their bee kills (not winter losses, that is BIP’s work) since 2013 http://POLLINATORSTEWARDSHIP.ORG/?PAGE_ID=934 . We worked with the Honey Bee Health Coalition in May 2015 to create a guide on how to report bee kills due to pesticides. The attached article was printed in Bee Culture magazine, and the attached Quick Guide PDF was there as well. Beekeepers can request a laminated copy of the Quick Guide at http://POLLINATORSTEWARDSHIP.ORG/?PAGE_ID=3292
Thank you for your due diligence in reporting your losses. It is only through awareness and data collection that we all can gain a better understanding of all of the factors (pests, pathogens, pesticides, and poor forage) affecting our honey bees whether it is 2 hives or 2000 colonies damaged or killed.
Even though EPA has stated they do not like to accept “second-hand” reports, such as from the Pollinator Stewardship Council; EPA doesaccept “second-hand” reports of pesticide incidents that were reported to pesticide manufacturers. When you and I spoke about your bee losses, I simply wrote down what you told me; you reviewed and approved the report, and gave me your permission to email the reports to CDPR and to EPA with your name and contact information in the report. (beekeepers can report their losses anonymously, and we will respect a beekeeper’s privacy to do so.) The Pollinator Stewardship Council is here to assist beekeepers in the reporting process. Our goal is to listen to beekeepers, explain the reporting process, and help them document their losses.
At this time the Pollinator Stewardship Council is part of a committee, along with other concerned nonprofits, working with EPA to revamp their incident reporting data collection.
Through more than 50 presentations around the U.S. the Pollinator Stewardship Council has provided information about reporting bee kills due to pesticide exposure, and encouraged beekeepers to report their losses. We need all beekeepers to report their losses (winter losses to Bee Informed Partnership as that data collection is important), and losses as a result of pesticide poisoning to the Pollinator Stewardship Council, EPA, and the beekeeper’s state EPA as this data is just as important in helping to improve the health of our bees. See reported losses athttp://pollinatorstewardship.org/?page_id=1428
I am very sorry for the losses you have experienced. Thank you for taking the time to report this incident. Please feel free to share this information with your beekeeping network.
Michele Colopy
Program Director
Pollinator Stewardship Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 304
Perkinston, MS 39573
832-727-9492
PROGDIRECTOR@POLLINATORSTEWARDSHIP.ORG
http://WWW.POLLINATORSTEWARDSHIP.ORGsusan rudnickiParticipantWhy are my posts being put up designated “hidden”????
susan rudnickiParticipantI have had several incidents of poisoning and have posted the photos and responses reporting to authorities on the HL Forum. Please use the Search button to input “report pesticide poisoning” and the posts will show up. Please DO report to Michele Colopy of the Pollinator Stewardship Council. I just sent a response to a post at the LB Beekeepers Club regarding this very issue. Here is that post—please read the whole thing!!
Yes, it is likely a poisoning incident. One of my big hives (4 deeps) was poisoned two times, 8 mos apart. Its great mass may have been the only saving grace. The bees feed on a rich forage source, bring it back to the hive, poison the house bees, but the queen is spared since her food comes from her retinue that directly feed her and they are not in the house bee circuit. Both times my big hive survived, but it took a long time to recover. I also picked up a small cutout colony last week that is exhibiting poisoning symptoms. Bees flipping over, flying erratically, dead bees all around the site they were taken. Now that I have them home, the remainders are ignoring the brood combs and just sitting on the top bars, under the lid, apparently quietly awaiting death.
Michelle Colopy at the Pollinator Stewardship Council urges all beeks to send her the stats on your incident, with photos if possible, and she will file official reports to the EPA and the CA Dept of Pesticide Regulation. She says the bureaucrats will insist nothing bad is happening if we fail to report.The Pollinator Stewardship Council has been encouraging beekeepers to report their bee kills (not winter losses, that is BIP’s work) since 2013 http://POLLINATORSTEWARDSHIP.ORG/?PAGE_ID=934 . We worked with the Honey Bee Health Coalition in May 2015 to create a guide on how to report bee kills due to pesticides. The attached article was printed in Bee Culture magazine, and the attached Quick Guide PDF was there as well. Beekeepers can request a laminated copy of the Quick Guide at http://POLLINATORSTEWARDSHIP.ORG/?PAGE_ID=3292
Thank you for your due diligence in reporting your losses. It is only through awareness and data collection that we all can gain a better understanding of all of the factors (pests, pathogens, pesticides, and poor forage) affecting our honey bees whether it is 2 hives or 2000 colonies damaged or killed.
Even though EPA has stated they do not like to accept “second-hand” reports, such as from the Pollinator Stewardship Council; EPA doesaccept “second-hand” reports of pesticide incidents that were reported to pesticide manufacturers. When you and I spoke about your bee losses, I simply wrote down what you told me; you reviewed and approved the report, and gave me your permission to email the reports to CDPR and to EPA with your name and contact information in the report. (beekeepers can report their losses anonymously, and we will respect a beekeeper’s privacy to do so.) The Pollinator Stewardship Council is here to assist beekeepers in the reporting process. Our goal is to listen to beekeepers, explain the reporting process, and help them document their losses.
At this time the Pollinator Stewardship Council is part of a committee, along with other concerned nonprofits, working with EPA to revamp their incident reporting data collection.
Through more than 50 presentations around the U.S. the Pollinator Stewardship Council has provided information about reporting bee kills due to pesticide exposure, and encouraged beekeepers to report their losses. We need all beekeepers to report their losses (winter losses to Bee Informed Partnership as that data collection is important), and losses as a result of pesticide poisoning to the Pollinator Stewardship Council, EPA, and the beekeeper’s state EPA as this data is just as important in helping to improve the health of our bees. See reported losses athttp://pollinatorstewardship.org/?page_id=1428
I am very sorry for the losses you have experienced. Thank you for taking the time to report this incident. Please feel free to share this information with your beekeeping network.
Michele Colopy
Program Director
Pollinator Stewardship Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 304
Perkinston, MS 39573
832-727-9492
PROGDIRECTOR@POLLINATORSTEWARDSHIP.ORG
http://WWW.POLLINATORSTEWARDSHIP.ORGsusan rudnickiParticipantI have had several incidents of poisoning and have posted the photos and responses reporting to authorities on the HL Forum. Please use the Search button to input “report pesticide poisoning” and the posts will show up. Please DO report to Michele Colopy of the Pollinator Stewardship Council. I just sent a response to a post at the LB Beekeepers Club regarding this very issue. Here is that post—please read the whole thing!!
Yes, it is likely a poisoning incident. One of my big hives (4 deeps) was poisoned two times, 8 mos apart. Its great mass may have been the only saving grace. The bees feed on a rich forage source, bring it back to the hive, poison the house bees, but the queen is spared since her food comes from her retinue that directly feed her and they are not in the house bee circuit. Both times my big hive survived, but it took a long time to recover. I also picked up a small cutout colony last week that is exhibiting poisoning symptoms. Bees flipping over, flying erratically, dead bees all around the site they were taken. Now that I have them home, the remainders are ignoring the brood combs and just sitting on the top bars, under the lid, apparently quietly awaiting death.
Michelle Colopy at the Pollinator Stewardship Council urges all beeks to send her the stats on your incident, with photos if possible, and she will file official reports to the EPA and the CA Dept of Pesticide Regulation. She says the bureaucrats will insist nothing bad is happening if we fail to report.The Pollinator Stewardship Council has been encouraging beekeepers to report their bee kills (not winter losses, that is BIP’s work) since 2013 http://pollinatorstewardship.org/?page_id=934 . We worked with the Honey Bee Health Coalition in May 2015 to create a guide on how to report bee kills due to pesticides. The attached article was printed in Bee Culture magazine, and the attached Quick Guide PDF was there as well. Beekeepers can request a laminated copy of the Quick Guide at http://pollinatorstewardship.org/?page_id=3292
Thank you for your due diligence in reporting your losses. It is only through awareness and data collection that we all can gain a better understanding of all of the factors (pests, pathogens, pesticides, and poor forage) affecting our honey bees whether it is 2 hives or 2000 colonies damaged or killed.
Even though EPA has stated they do not like to accept “second-hand” reports, such as from the Pollinator Stewardship Council; EPA doesaccept “second-hand” reports of pesticide incidents that were reported to pesticide manufacturers. When you and I spoke about your bee losses, I simply wrote down what you told me; you reviewed and approved the report, and gave me your permission to email the reports to CDPR and to EPA with your name and contact information in the report. (beekeepers can report their losses anonymously, and we will respect a beekeeper’s privacy to do so.) The Pollinator Stewardship Council is here to assist beekeepers in the reporting process. Our goal is to listen to beekeepers, explain the reporting process, and help them document their losses.
At this time the Pollinator Stewardship Council is part of a committee, along with other concerned nonprofits, working with EPA to revamp their incident reporting data collection.
Through more than 50 presentations around the U.S. the Pollinator Stewardship Council has provided information about reporting bee kills due to pesticide exposure, and encouraged beekeepers to report their losses. We need all beekeepers to report their losses (winter losses to Bee Informed Partnership as that data collection is important), and losses as a result of pesticide poisoning to the Pollinator Stewardship Council, EPA, and the beekeeper’s state EPA as this data is just as important in helping to improve the health of our bees. See reported losses athttp://pollinatorstewardship.org/?page_id=1428
I am very sorry for the losses you have experienced. Thank you for taking the time to report this incident. Please feel free to share this information with your beekeeping network.
Michele Colopy
Program Director
Pollinator Stewardship Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 304
Perkinston, MS 39573
832-727-9492
progdirector@pollinatorstewardship.org
http://www.pollinatorstewardship.orgsusan rudnickiParticipantHi, I am the Forum moderator. I will answer within the letter you wrote
Hive (3 Mediums) was approaching full (8 out of 9 frames)
4 weeks ago when we added a fourth box.
What did the inspection reveal about the contents of the 3rd medium?For that matter, we need information about what the population of the lower 3 boxes was to make a knowledgeable answer to this question.
Do you know for a fact that you have a laying queen? (EGGS must be confirmed)
What was the SOURCE of this colony? Swarm? Package/breeder bees? Cutout?
What date were they hived?
Adding a 4th box to the colony in hopes of more honey harvest will only occur on a flow. You do not say where you are located, but there is a LOT of dryness right now and places where bees do not have a abundance of nectar. Taking honey from a hive in the first year is not usually possible.
Upon inspection, found a few small hive beetles scurrying
on the lid and to our surprise, the fourth box un-touched….
so far nothing intruding into the frames.SHB under the lid are there because the bees drove them there. Some SHB are totally normal in even robust hives—the bees will take care of them. Hives do best with morning sun and no watering around the hive—SHB like damp and shade conditions.
The 4th box is unused because there is no flow right now.
Questions:
1) Has anyone had success with microfibers? are there
any that are untreated? Some have suggested unscented
Swiffer sheets but even the unscented is most certainly
treated…None of these treatments are endorsed in natural beekeeping and will not be needed as long as the hive is queen-right and robust
2) would it be best to remove the fourth box so the hive
can focus on defending itself or move some frames
from the third box to the fourth to encourage population?This depends on the answers to the first questions I posed—how big is the brood nest and is the colony queen right? Brooding up to bring brood frames into a new box should only be done if you judge the forage and stored food is adequate to support more comb drawing and additional nurse bees.
Hadn’t noticed an abundance of brood mostly worker cells
and frames were mostly full of honey in each of the supers…
3) Is this normal this time of year?The name for boxes is #1, #2, #3, based on order of occupancy. Box 1 is the bottom because it was occupied first. “super” is not a box size.
If your colony is not queen right, the bees could be doing nothing but bringing in pollen and nectar to conform to their “jobs” instead of raising brood. You must verify there is eggs, open brood of all sizes and capped brood.4) Is diatomaceous earth around hive effective deterrent to
any SHB larvae or might this hurt the bees… I’ve often
seen a few of them walking around on the ground…?Again, strong bees do not need you to do things like this. The strength of the colony is of primary concern.
If you are NOT queen right, as Karim mentioned, you may mitigate the problem by adding a Queen-right swarm. But, I do NOT advocate removing queens unless you think she is a drone layer or not laying at all. This is a more advanced determination, by the way—do you have a mentor to help you with all this? You should have one.I do not pay any attention to mite counts because all my hives are feral survivor stock and handle their mite issues successfully without my intervention. Depending on your answer to the sourcing of your colony, this will be your situation as well. If you do have package bees and are going “cold turkey” on them with treatments, this is not a viable option. They WILL die. Bees bred with genetic dependence on chemical treatments must have their treatments regularly—and even then, they die sometimes. The mites are evolving resistance to the chemicals, making the applications not work as intended.
I hope this series of answers clarifies the many aspects of this post—you can always write back with other questions…..
Any advice, comments would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
susan rudnickiParticipantClaudia—A nuc of bees is just 5 deep frames and you should have no trouble getting it in or out of your car. If you do not know how to put them in a full size Langstroth hive body (which holds TEN frames) I would recommend you just allow them to enter and leave from their nuc until you round up someone with knowledge to mentor you. We have a number of members up in your area. You do not mention what education you have done to learn about beekeeping, but there are a number of recommended books on this site that you should read at least ONE of them before you go much further. Education is key to being safe in the urban environment (where most folks are not beekeepers) and learning the intricate social structure of the bee colony. We also strongly recommend hooking up with and paying a mentor to guide you.
susan rudnickiParticipantAnyone responding to this post must understand the techniques of doing a cutout properly and carefully. This is not a project for a first time newbee and is more complex than a swarm, by far. Please get the guidance of a knowledgeable mentor before attempting this, or the colony could easily be damaged and die. This project is not for the homeowner to decide who is qualified, but for the prospective rescuer to do honest self-assessment.
susan rudnickiParticipantAnyone responding to this post must understand the techniques of doing a cutout properly and carefully. This is not a project for a first time newbee and is more complex than a swarm, by far. Please get the guidance of a knowledgeable mentor before attempting this, or the colony could easily be damaged and die. This project is not for the homeowner to decide who is qualified, but for the prospective rescuer to do honest self-assessment.
susan rudnickiParticipantVery few on this Forum and HL membership do qualified bee rescue. It takes years of experience and thorough attention to detail of the craft to do it well and humanely. Most of the beekeeping world has no idea
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