Chalkbrood

[Polyanwood]

I thought I saw some chalkbrood in my weakest hive....it looked very white.. could it be anything else? Should I be worried? Should I do anything?

 

[Hivemaker.]

If it was in the actual brood then it was most likely chalk brood,but if it was around the edges it could be some ivy honey that has not been capped and has granulated,there is a lot of this in hives at the moment,very white.If it is chalkbrood then do not worry as lots of colonys get the odd cells of chalkbrood.As long as your hive is quite strong they should be fine.

 

[Finman]

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If you see this kind of things on bottom, landing board or in front of hive, it is chalkrood.

 

[Polyanwood]

Thanks. will look out for the mummies, haven't seen any so far. Seemed too white for ivy honey... perhaps we won't know until it is warm now.

 

[Finman]

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Beekeepers does not understand how severity is chalkbrood:

* it slows down the spring build up
* the hive looses weeks to forage surplus
* mostly the hive will be healed when summer gets warm. In that case the hive is too late to become a good forager.
It may grow a huge hive but it consumes honey in brood rearing (- lack of old foragers)

* There is no chemical which heal (folks talk and belive many hings)
* only way is to find a stock which is resistant to disease
* Rear queens so much that you may cast away sensitive queens

* Cast away queens, which show sensitiveness in drone brood area

unweed the C-B sensitive genes from bee stock.

I had bad C-B in my yard 15 years and I go rid off with crossings.
Last summer one hive had disease in Brood area and I kicked queen off.

In Ethiopia C-B is only in drone brood.

The disease burst even in one comb when brood catch cold (nursing temp)

 

[Hivemaker.]

Test done in germany by sraying syrup/thymol mix onto combs and bee's caused them to clean out chalk brood mummies,and this would also stop chalkbrood,i have tried this in the past and it works,but only for a while,so anyone who reads this method and tries it,it is not a cure.

 

[Finman]

Test done in germany by sraying syrup/thymol mix onto combs and bee's caused .

Maarec , 6 universities from USA - says "No treatment is presently available for control. In some cases, chalkbrood can be reduced by requeening colonies with a young queen."

http://maarec.psu.edu/pest&disease/slide25.htm

You may get an idea about "working method" because mostly chalkbrood will be healed by itself in warm summer month.
It bursts again when you have 3 weeks rainy and cold.

 

[Finman]

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I get rid off the chalkbrood :

* I byed several new strains of queens to get resistant genes
* I kept in queen mating nucs contaminated floors that all nuc get disease at once.
* I destoyed all queen which's larvae showed sign of disease or spotted brood area.

* I destroyed first year 50% of young queens for C-B.

Many mother queens showed chalkbrood in every daugter.

I must weed the from drone line and from queen line.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Did you get much chalkbrood when you had carnica,or were they not in the hives long enough before they swarm.

 

[Finman]

Did you get much chalkbrood when you had carnica,or were they not in the hives long enough before they swarm.

Carnica was very good against chalkbrood. It bursted at once when I returned to Italians.

With Carnica 7 years off 10 swarming was not a problem. 3 years of 10 were catastrophe.

 

[Polyanwood]

Is Chalkbrood easily transferred from one hive to another and what is the best way to clean the hives so it is not spread around?

 

[Finman]

Is Chalkbrood easily transferred from one hive to another and what is the best way to clean the hives so it is not spread around?

Change the queen. You cannot clean it. You may handle stores and comps with ice acetic but diseases are among living bees and combs in use.
Varroa has added existence of chalkbrood. In South Africa C-B was almost unknown but after varroa it has been a nuisance.

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[Polyanwood]

I'll be onto changing that queen in the Spring then... assuming I decide what type of queen I am going to try next!

 

[Hivemaker.]

It is a fungi,as finman says it is on the bee's as well.on there hairy little legs.

 

[Finman]

I'll be onto changing that queen in the Spring then... !

Yes but, did you have shalk brood or ivy pollen?

Look next spring what you have.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Granulated ivy is pure white,not coloured.

 

[Finman]

Granulated ivy is pure white,not coloured.

If you have much holes on in brood areas, it is better to look why.

 

[Hivemaker.]

I think poly only had a quick look, and was not sure if it was in the brood area, or on the outside of the brood.

 

[Finman]

I think poly only had a quick look, and was not sure if it was in the brood area, or on the outside of the brood.

It is better to learn, what is pollen and what is brood. Answer cannot come via internet (o)

 

[Bcrazy]

Chalk brood is easily recognised, but the colouring could be a little deceptive, until it turns very dark in colour.

Regards; Bcrazy