Knowledgebase

poison #942320

Asked August 13, 2026, 12:54 PM EDT

Symptoms: lots of dead bees out front..piles. Sluggish, disoriented erratic movements. No robbing, queen is still laying and unaffected so far, HIve 3 feet away is fine. Thoughts? Poison exposure?

Clinton County Michigan

Expert Response

Sorry to hear about the dead and dying bees. Thanks for reaching out and for including a photo. Did you treat with formic acid recently? A formic treatment can lead to dead bees and brood, especially if the entrance isn’t open. I also wonder if the entrance reducer isn’t allowing enough air flow for the bees to cool the hive in hot temperatures. It’s hard to know if the bees are dying from pesticides, a virus, or another cause. If you don’t think the dead bees are due to a Formic Pro treatment or the colony overheating with the reduced entrance, then I think it makes sense to consider the possibility of pesticide exposure. What to do if you suspect your honey bee colonies are harmed by pesticides: https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/what-to-do-if-you-suspect-your-honey-bee-colonies-are-harmed-by-pesticides Some pesticides break down quickly, so it’s important to act fast if you want to request an investigation. Step 1: Take photos and videos of the hives and of dead or dying bees. Don't manipulate the hive or take any other action until an inspector has visited and collected information. You will need the samples to be officially collected. Step 2: Contact Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD). Bee kills can be reported through MDARD's pesticide complaint online form. https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx (The link for the online form isn’t working for me, but it may be an issue with my device or connection.) MDARD can also be reached by phone at <personal data hidden>, by email at <personal data hidden>. Pesticide complaints are handled by the Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division. Please stay in touch and respond with updates or questions.

Hi! I'm just checking in to see if you have any updates or additional questions.

It looks like the formatting of my last response got messed up since it doesn't include any paragraph breaks. I responded from my phone in an area without great reception. Hopefully it wasn't too hard to follow.

Hi Ana,
Update.. the day after your response we were w/o internet or phone for a week  (we have only land line - no cell) so I never made contact with officials about poisoning. 3 days after your response, the hive was being robbed out so I salvaged the queen, brood and whatever nurse bees were left and newspaper merged w/ with another hive. She was one of my gentlest queens/hives so i wanted to attempt a save. She is now accepted into another hive and we'll see how it goes. I will be taking the salvaged honey and adding to it later.
Thanks for all your help.
R

On Saturday, August 15, 2026 at 08:52:33 AM EDT, Ask Extension wrote:


The Question Asker Replied August 21, 2026, 6:30 AM EDT


On Friday, August 21, 2026 at 06:20:22 AM EDT, Robbyn Smith wrote:


Hi Ana,
Update.. the day after your response we were w/o internet or phone for a week  (we have only land line - no cell) so I never made contact with officials about poisoning. 3 days after your response, the hive was being robbed out so I salvaged the queen, brood and whatever nurse bees were left and newspaper merged w/ with another hive. She was one of my gentlest queens/hives so i wanted to attempt a save. She is now accepted into another hive and we'll see how it goes. I will be taking the salvaged honey and adding to it later.
Thanks for all your help.
R

On Saturday, August 15, 2026 at 08:52:33 AM EDT, Ask Extension wrote:


The Question Asker Replied August 21, 2026, 7:50 AM EDT

Thanks for the update! I hope all goes well with your bees this fall. 

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