Chalk brood?

[ksjs]

Going through my varroa tray last night and saw more confirmation (I think) of what might be chalk brood. See attached picture - am I right? If yes, does what is shown look significant (what's shown is only a small area of the floor but the dead brood don't go much beyond this and aren't any more concentrated).

Apologies by the way for amount of build up on the tray! I paid the price for not counting mites in some time by spending a good chunk of y'day eve sifting through wax etc to find them. By the way, the blue stuff is foam I've been using to decrease entrance - the bees do not like it! And the cleared lines on the tray are to help count.

Thanks.

 

[BBG]

Looks like chalk brood.

Do you leave your OMF open most of the time by leaving the varroa tray out, most of the time.

If not, this is believed as a partial cause of your troubles, which will multiply with no ventilation.

http://website.lineone.net/~dave.cushman/kenhomf.html

 

[Ruary]

Yes looks like chalkbrodd to me as well.
Ruary

 

[Hivemaker.]

You need to re queen if severe infection.

 

[VEG]

how big are the gaps in the OMF to allow them to fall through to the monitoring board?

 

[ksjs]

Do you leave your OMF open most of the time by leaving the varroa tray out, most of the time.
If not, this is believed as a partial cause of your troubles, which will multiply with no ventilation.

I stupidly had the tray in for the first two weeks when I got my bees (end of July this year). It has been out ever since until the last 4 weeks for apiguard treatment; the hive has been really closed down over this period: just the brood box with a 1cm deep eke on top to allow space for apiguard, crown board in place but with holes covered, hive entrance down to 2 bee spaces approx and of course the tray.

So less ventilation than normal. Apiguard now finished so I have a super on to allow for feeder, crown board has the holes open and there's no tray in place. Perhaps this will help address the problem?

By the way they attempted supersedure but so far I haven't been able to spot a new queen. Might supersedure be something to do with chalk brood?

I'll keep an eye and see what happens now the hive is back to normal.

 

[Skyhook]

Chalk brood can increase as a response to stress/ low numbers unable to keep thye temp. up. You may find it gets better when they build up in spring-otherwise you will need to re-queen.

 

[BBG]

I stupidly had the tray in for the first two weeks when I got my bees (end of July this year). It has been out ever since until the last 4 weeks for apiguard treatment; the hive has been really closed down over this period: just the brood box with a 1cm deep eke on top to allow space for apiguard, crown board in place but with holes covered, hive entrance down to 2 bee spaces approx and of course the tray.

So less ventilation than normal. Apiguard now finished so I have a super on to allow for feeder, crown board has the holes open and there's no tray in place. Perhaps this will help address the problem?

By the way they attempted supersedure but so far I haven't been able to spot a new queen. Might supersedure be something to do with chalk brood?

I'll keep an eye and see what happens now the hive is back to normal.

Hivemaker has spoken - speak to him - get one from him

 

[ksjs]

how big are the gaps in the OMF to allow them to fall through to the monitoring board?

Just noticed your question. Yes! Very weird indeed: the mesh is tiny yet somehow they get through. How? Or maybe it's not as small as I think. Memory suggests about 2mm. I should contact manufacturer / check their website but it does seem physically impossible. Hmm...

 

[greatbritishhoney]

I Might supersedure be something to do with chalk brood?

Yes, could be.
As already said, re-queening is the only real option (or maybe killing queen and uniting with a healthy colony).
How is the colony in general? Plenty or bees and brood or are they very low on numbers?

 

[ksjs]

Yes, could be.
As already said, re-queening is the only real option (or maybe killing queen and uniting with a healthy colony).
How is the colony in general? Plenty or bees and brood or are they very low on numbers?

With limited experience I'd say health generally is good (excepting varroa) with plenty of bees. They're still very active and bringing in loads of pollen, ignoring syrup too I think in favour of local forage.