Chalkbrood - home remedies?

[Parsonage Bees]

I have one colony with bad chalkbrood and its not getting better. I won't have a replacement queen for a month or so. Does anyone have any home remedies I could try?

The chalkbrood has been bad since the beginning of April and isn't getting any better. The colony is smaller than the others. It is one of 5 daughters raised last year. The only difference is they were united with a nuc where the queen failed to get mated. Wasps were overrunning it.

I run my colonies with the crownboard holes covered and the slide in under the mesh floor. If ventilation will help could open this up. Grass needs cutting around the apiary.

I could try something. If it doesn't work I'll requeen.

Thanks . .. . . Ben

 

[Angry_Mob]

Ventilation should help, even putting them into a poly nuc might help for the additional insulation but not sure if its worth the stress.

 

[Ian123]

Mostly if find it’s queen related, change the queen problem sorted. I would avoid using a related queen.

 

[Finman]

Ventilation should help, even putting them into a poly nuc might help for the additional insulation but not sure if its worth the stress.

Your disease case is very bad. Half of brood have died.

Ventilation does not help. Hive has already a mesh floor.

You may buy a foreign Queen.

Mesh floor and upper holes open. That would be a Real chimney effect.

 

[eltalia]

I have one colony with bad chalkbrood and its not getting better. I won't have a replacement
queen for a month or so. Does anyone have any home remedies I could try?

The chalkbrood has been bad since the beginning of April and isn't getting any better.
The colony is smaller than the others. It is one of 5 daughters raised last year.
(edit)
Thanks . .. . . Ben

From that image posted numbers are now so low any hygiene trait this
sister may have lacked would make no difference. The colony is dead.

Write it off, freeze and store the frames if you choose but I'd be culling
the lot, cleaning and refurbishing them as backups.
No joy in having to post such advice.

Bill

 

[Angry_Mob]

Ventilation does not help. Hive has already a mesh floor.

OP said he floor is closed with a slide so no bottom ventilation.

I should probably have added that my suggestion is only to keep the hive going until the OP can requeen it in a months time.

 

[Madge]

...The colony is dead.

Write it off, freeze and store the frames if you choose but I'd be culling the lot, ...

Bill

That’s crazy, trigger-happy advice.

Requeen as people have already suggested. If one of your other colonies can donate a frame of mostly capped brood, then that might help this colony in cleaning up their hive.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

That’s crazy, trigger-happy advice.

Requeen as people have already suggested. If one of your other colonies can donate a frame of mostly capped brood, then that might help this colony in cleaning up their hive.

I added a post about culling a bad tempered colony earlier this year, queen failed, full of drones, and I couldn't do it. Thought better of it. (I united them on top of this colony. Stack currently of 2 BB and 2 supers).

Worried about using any of this wax. I'm not using it for splits. I could clear them down into one BB and one super and recycle the top boxes.

If I freeze the comb can I use it again or am I spreading the fungus?

Floor slide taken out and crownboard holes uncovered.

Thanks . . . . Ben

 

[Parsonage Bees]

I was hoping someone might come up with a suggestion of putting banana skins on the top of the frames or syrup made with camomile tea or something?

 

[Goran]

I was hoping someone might come up with a suggestion of putting banana skins on the top of the frames or syrup made with camomile tea or something?

Some says had success with 1 gram of vitamin C per kg of sugar ( in syrup or fondant).
One beek told me that he used: BeeVital ChalkBrood MycoStop, but didn't help.
I usually make brood break ( queen early retirement), spray all with genox and clean the bottom board ( few times). Later when majority of brood is out add new mated queen in a cage..
I found myself this season couple colonies which started to show signs of chalkbrood ( queens are removed now), even one show intention to swarm. I never till now saw a colony with chalkbrood that it will swarm..

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

That’s crazy, trigger-happy advice.

Figures - look at the source

 

[Parsonage Bees]

Some says had success with 1 gram of vitamin C per kg of sugar ( in syrup or fondant).
One beek told me that he used: BeeVital ChalkBrood MycoStop, but didn't help.
I usually make brood break ( queen early retirement), spray all with genox and clean the bottom board ( few times). Later when majority of brood is out add new mated queen in a cage..
I found myself this season couple colonies which started to show signs of chalkbrood ( queens are removed now), even one show intention to swarm. I never till now saw a colony with chalkbrood that it will swarm..

Thanks Goran,

Had a bit of a Google but not sure what genox is? What type of treatment?

. . . . Ben


Hang on, found this : GENOX Agro

Composition: water, Hypochloric acid / hypochlorite ion 0.046%, sodium chloride

I'll have a read.

 

[Angry_Mob]

Floor slide taken out and crownboard holes uncovered.

Thanks . . . . Ben

Keep the crown board covered.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Keep the crown board covered.

turning the hive into a wind tunnel isn't going to sort out chalk brood

 

[Goran]

It has some certificates as ecological product ( disinfectant). Firstly I diluted 50-50 with water ( some beeks told me so).. Later I tried pure, didn't saw some bad reaction from bees. I use it pure. I can't claim itself is highly effective, but maybe helps bees in some degree to clean themselves and hive. I spray bees, comb, interior of the hive..

 

[Parsonage Bees]

Keep the crown board covered.

Wish I'd left the bits of plywood in place over the crownboard holes until I'd got a bee suit on. Got stung in the arm pit!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Composition: water, Hypochloric acid / hypochlorite ion 0.046%, sodium chloride

I'll have a read.

More commonly known as Parozone

 

[Goran]

More commonly known as Parozone

Not quite.. Genox I can " drink" without problem, none aggressive..

 

[eltalia]

I was hoping someone might come up with a
suggestion of putting banana skins on the top of the frames or syrup made with
camomile tea or something?

0h it will happen...
/wry grin/

You are onsite so only you know the population numbers
and the ages of castes, tho' from the spotty brood in that image
I doubt you have any younguns around nor about to see any.
So it is your call on what benefit these bees bring to another
colony in a combine.... or are they to be just extra mouths to
feed, largely.
Where her sisters are doing fine in setting brood you got lucky.
This one is a dud, it happens.
In management always look at cause.
There is only one known proven solution for CB breakouts in
an otherwise 'normal' situation, increase the population
with large numbers of hygenically motivated bees.
Otherwise really one is just f00kin' around dabbling in lost
"feel good" causes.
Think about it.... I leave you tuit.

Bill

 

[Anduril]

Don't try this technique.
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=38873&highlight=Canesten+cream