Chalk Brood

[Hivemaker.]

i would shook swarm in to a cleaned foor/brood box onto new foundation and wait and see

Chalk brood spores adhere the the bee's body hairs,so you would need to shampoo each bee as well. And clean there internal parts.

 

[colinlee]

like i said you can only wait and see

 

[BBG]

Chalk brood spores adhere the the bee's body hairs,so you would need to shampoo each bee as well. And clean there internal parts.

So any recommendations as to the way forward. Is it re-queening, leave it at teaching apiary for fear of spreading the 'genomes'.

??

 

[colinlee]

chalk brood

you can re-queen,but i would wait to see the outcome of a clean set up.

 

[Finman]

.

I keep chalk brood residuals in my mating nucs. If the new queen's brood take the disease, I kill the queen. If the the brood area is even, without signs of disease, that is OK.

When the new workers emerge in the mating nucs, and if they show me their stingy abdomen, the queen will fly its final course to bushes.

After millions of years selection I do better selection than Nature itself.

 

[beestie]

I have ordered something called Beevital Chalkbrood. There are pages on t'internet showing the tests they did on spores, and how it restricted the spread. Apparantly you dust it on the frames and it should help the infection to die out quicker.

Has anyone tried this yet? Does it work or is it snake oil?!?

 

[BBG]

Finman can you please explain the why and wherefore of the line in quotes:

"I keep chalk brood residuals in my mating nucs."

Uncertain what it means.

 

[oliver90owner]

The suppliers are marketing it. Need say no more about the results they might band around to entice new buyers.

However, I look at it this way; do I want to encourage susceptible colonies and be locked in to costly treatments for ever and a day (yes, even if it works, they have got a captive market as soon as it is used!) or do I simply get rid of the susceptible genes, from the apiary, by requeening?

And then there are those susceptible lines spreading their genes around so my other colonies become reliant on treatments (they have really got me by now, haven't they?) and my bees are spreading the genes to perpetuate the problem all over the local area (that is good news for the suppliers, isn't it!).

No, may not be snake oil, but it may be the suppliers who may just be the 'snakes in the grass'. I would not even try it. There is a much better solution, to the problem, for me. I would requeen.

So, no experience and won't be getting any either.

RAB

 

[oliver90owner]

"I keep chalk brood residuals in my mating nucs."

Surely this is clear, apparent and straight forward to understand in the context of the reply?

RAB

 

[huntsman666]

Spores alone will not cause Chalk Brood. The bees have to be under stress (mainly poor beekeeping) before it's a problem.

 

[beestie]

Spores alone will not cause Chalk Brood. The bees have to be under stress (mainly poor beekeeping) before it's a problem.

That's what I heard - my bees were stressed after a long journey in the car and far too long in a temporary nuc before I picked them up, poor things. But also interesting to read RAB's comments, which make a lot of sense too.

Does that mean anyone could have chalkbrood but never realise it if their colony is not stressed?

 

[Moggs]

So requeening lessens stress with consequent impact on spore viability(?)

 

[oliver90owner]

I keep chalk brood residuals in my mating nucs. If the new queen's brood take the disease, I kill the queen.

Oh dear, Finman,

I detect there is someone on the forum who is suggesting you are likely stressing your bees (in his words: The bees have to be under stress (mainly poor beekeeping).

I don't think that is the 'mainly' case at all and am in complete agreement with your method of eradication

Regards, RAB

 

[Moggs]

Phew - thanks RAB - (I was wondering how and where the plot was lost)! Here's a weird one though - a highly respected beekeeper around these parts suggested that a small trail of common salt on top of the frame bars could be efficacious in dealing with chalk brood.

 

[huntsman666]

<I detect there is someone on the forum who is suggesting you are likely stressing your bees (in his words: The bees have to be under stress (mainly poor beekeeping).>

IMO, you need to study Yates or perhaps you know more?

 

[oliver90owner]

Yates? Is that the wine bar in Nottingham?

 

[huntsman666]

oliver90owner; <Yates? Is that the wine bar in Nottingham?>

Okay, well read 'any' decent beekeeping study notes.

Stop attacking what I post and acting like a board bully. Do it again and I'm out of here.

 

[BBG]

oliver90owner; <Yates? Is that the wine bar in Nottingham?>

Okay, well read 'any' decent beekeeping study notes.

Stop attacking what I post and acting like a board bully. Do it again and I'm out of here.

Huntsman please paste a link to said information, two or three would be very helpful

 

[BBG]

"I keep chalk brood residuals in my mating nucs."

Surely this is clear, apparent and straight forward to understand in the context of the reply?

RAB

You may be having a bad day and you're forgiven but no, it isn't to me who needs clarification on something I do not fully understand.

It would be good if you explained it as that would take less time than your rebuke. It would also be polite.

PM me if there is a need.

 

[Finman]

Does that mean anyone could have chalkbrood but never realise it if their colony is not stressed?

I would say that chalkbrood is not a stress disease. It has various stages. Other hives has nothing and some are very bad. Hives have same stress. That is not an explanations.