Survivor Stock
I found another dead hive yesterday- which I think puts this years losses to about 10 colonies-all going into the winter strong and with great stores and proper treatments. 10 colonies is half of what I had. And each one died pretty much in the same way- with very few, if any, bees left in the hive (today's had none, though it was one of my strongest in Fall). Sometimes they cluster around the queen and die like they are starving- with heads in empty cells- but always with a full super (or more) inches away.
It seems pretty obvious that a virus is collapsing these hives, though I have certainly seen high rates of infection of Nosema in at least one. And- its obvious that the cold has something to do with it- they die quickly in the cold, and we didn't even have that cold of a winter.
Anecdotally, I have heard of high losses from lots of beekeepers, and the new owners of the Bees Kneez, now Snohomish Bee Company, said today (while I was ordering new packages), that this has been something they've heard a lot this year. That strikes me as interesting- and seems to indicate that the vehicle for infection are the packages from California. I grew up not really liking anything that came north from California (irrational, I know), and so its not hard for me to jump on this.
Of course, I just ordered more packages from there. But that's because I don't know for sure that its any different anywhere else- from this state for example. And- I like the new folks at SnohoBeeco.
What i am picturing is the mechanism for the pandemic is based on my reading of RO- that there are strains of DWV that become extremely virulent and arise in CA, and are shipped here. They do well in summer months, and the virus stays undercover- but when it gets cold, and with other agents such as mites and nosema, it has a winter form- and acts to suppress bees ability to fight chill- and also suppresses their immune system to other infections (such as what? I dont know). I order packages, install them, they infect everyone, and I see high losses. Not usually- but this year, for sure.
And there is nothing to be done about it - I cant test for DWV, and I can't treat it, except to find bees that are less susceptible. Then- a new strain comes along. I am not quite sure I understand how we get out of this- but RO says that eventually species with this relationship reach a balance. Hopefully soon, before the next crisis appears.
Because a few of the beekeepers I know did not suffer winter losses- and they didn't even treat for mites or nosema- I suspect they also did not get infected- no CA bees got near them. I mean- RO says all bees carry DWV- but as with the common cold- its not a static thing- the RNA constantly morphs. Had those bees crossed paths with my bees, in the way that DMV is transferred (not by direct contact through the cuticle), then likely (in my theory), they would have seen the same thing happen.
Which would suggest that those apiaries that weren't hit this year, will be eventually. And- just possibly- those that were hit, and have surviving bees- have surviving bees because they had something genetically that fought off the infection.
Therefore- its tempting to see if I can raise my own queens. I imagine that there are a thousand other amateur beekeepers thinking the same thing right now.
I hope to keep going with this- and certainly hope that his year is better. I have three or four hives that I think might make good "survivor" stock, and they seem strong, and evidently fought off the infection.
It seems pretty obvious that a virus is collapsing these hives, though I have certainly seen high rates of infection of Nosema in at least one. And- its obvious that the cold has something to do with it- they die quickly in the cold, and we didn't even have that cold of a winter.
Anecdotally, I have heard of high losses from lots of beekeepers, and the new owners of the Bees Kneez, now Snohomish Bee Company, said today (while I was ordering new packages), that this has been something they've heard a lot this year. That strikes me as interesting- and seems to indicate that the vehicle for infection are the packages from California. I grew up not really liking anything that came north from California (irrational, I know), and so its not hard for me to jump on this.
Of course, I just ordered more packages from there. But that's because I don't know for sure that its any different anywhere else- from this state for example. And- I like the new folks at SnohoBeeco.
What i am picturing is the mechanism for the pandemic is based on my reading of RO- that there are strains of DWV that become extremely virulent and arise in CA, and are shipped here. They do well in summer months, and the virus stays undercover- but when it gets cold, and with other agents such as mites and nosema, it has a winter form- and acts to suppress bees ability to fight chill- and also suppresses their immune system to other infections (such as what? I dont know). I order packages, install them, they infect everyone, and I see high losses. Not usually- but this year, for sure.
And there is nothing to be done about it - I cant test for DWV, and I can't treat it, except to find bees that are less susceptible. Then- a new strain comes along. I am not quite sure I understand how we get out of this- but RO says that eventually species with this relationship reach a balance. Hopefully soon, before the next crisis appears.
Because a few of the beekeepers I know did not suffer winter losses- and they didn't even treat for mites or nosema- I suspect they also did not get infected- no CA bees got near them. I mean- RO says all bees carry DWV- but as with the common cold- its not a static thing- the RNA constantly morphs. Had those bees crossed paths with my bees, in the way that DMV is transferred (not by direct contact through the cuticle), then likely (in my theory), they would have seen the same thing happen.
Which would suggest that those apiaries that weren't hit this year, will be eventually. And- just possibly- those that were hit, and have surviving bees- have surviving bees because they had something genetically that fought off the infection.
Therefore- its tempting to see if I can raise my own queens. I imagine that there are a thousand other amateur beekeepers thinking the same thing right now.
I hope to keep going with this- and certainly hope that his year is better. I have three or four hives that I think might make good "survivor" stock, and they seem strong, and evidently fought off the infection.
Hope you make some good splits from those Survivor hives. I mostly use double screen snelgrove boards for swarm control and to replace queens annually. If I get extra queen cells and the colonies are strong, I sometimes make a few nucs up just so I have reserve queens later in the season if needed. I like the Snelgrove method as you can control swarms and make queens all on the same stack. Hope you have better luck this coming season. Thanks for turning me onto your blog. It's good reading and I really need to know about your current flight Andrew your solutions. Thanks. Michael in Bellingham
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