frames from dead Hive

[beepig]

I began looking through the frames from my perished colony yesterday. In one or two frames were these cells. Is this chalk brood?
Would this be one of reasons my colony died?
Or is this just mouldy pollen.?

 

[JEP]

No that's just a fungal bloom you see on pollen in either dead colonies or sometimes on the outside frames of weak colonies.

 

[dn170221]

No that's just a fungal bloom you see on pollen in either dead colonies or sometimes on the outside frames of weak colonies.

 

[pargyle]

Not chalkbrood or any of the other brood disease ... chalkbrood infected cells tend to be more 'recessed' than what you are seeing here as the larvae mummify.

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~msbain/elbka/Diseases/Chalk Brood.htm

Shows you photos of chalk brood (there are plenty others on the internet if you google chalkbrood under images) and you can clearly see the difference. Also the bees would not usually leave the mummies in a frame like this they would have cleared them out.

 

[pargyle]

Oops. Got the JBM Duplication disease ...

 

[Hivemaker.]

No that's just a fungal bloom you see on pollen in either dead colonies or sometimes on the outside frames of weak colonies.

I agree, that's all it is.

Also the bees would not usually leave the mummies in a frame like this they would have cleared them out.

Normally bees will clear the mummies, but in dead outs from bees that have suffered from chalk brood the mummies can often still be found in the combs.

 

[beepig]

Thanks everyone much appreciated.

 

[pargyle]

Normally bees will clear the mummies, but in dead outs from bees that have suffered from chalk brood the mummies can often still be found in the combs.

Of course ... quite right .. I was looking at this frame in isolation and forgot that we are talking about a dead colony ...

I've never seen a colony that has died as a result of chalk brood - we see chalk brood quite often in spring at our association apiary, which is a little over hung with a tall mixed deciduous hedge - and a bit weather facing. By the time Easter arrives and the hives have warmed up and the air is drier the mummies are cleared out and it's never been a terminal problem.

 

[masterBK]

The fungus that feeds on the pollen is Bettsia alvei and results in solid lumps in the cels with no nutritonal value to the bees. The workerbees are reluctant to remove these lumps (although a swarm will bite the comb back to the midrib and remove them) rendering the cells of no use for stores or eggs. However with time a population of mites (Carpoglyphus lactis) develops which feed off the fungal mycelium and render the lump down to a loose yellow powder which can easily be removed. If some of this powder is put under the microscope you will see hundreds of these tiny pink mites with long bristle like structures. This mite was first discovered feeding off yeast on prunes so is commonly known as the prune mite.

 

[pargyle]

The fungus that feeds on the pollen is Bettsia alvei and results in solid lumps in the cels with no nutritonal value to the bees. The workerbees are reluctant to remove these lumps (although a swarm will bite the comb back to the midrib and remove them) rendering the cells of no use for stores or eggs. However with time a population of mites (Carpoglyphus lactis) develops which feed off the fungal mycelium and render the lump down to a loose yellow powder which can easily be removed. If some of this powder is put under the microscope you will see hundreds of these tiny pink mites with long bristle like structures. This mite was first discovered feeding off yeast on prunes so is commonly known as the prune mite.

You learn so much on here ... I never knew that and I've never seen it in a bee book ....not even sure Hooper has it but I will look...

 

[MuswellMetro]

You learn so much on here ... I never knew that and I've never seen it in a bee book ....not even sure Hooper has it but I will look...

l agree with that, thanks M BK

 

[beeno]

Thanks msterBK, pasted it to my module notes.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Wonderful stuff, thanks mBK

 

[mbc]

Wonderful stuff, thanks mBK

I agree

 

[bontbee]

Thanks for the pic, ericA. What fabulous looking little creatures! Wish I'd got my microscope out now - I have seen the work of these little mites, but have never bothered to look at them. What a silly b****r, that'll learn me...

I seem to recall an article by Dan Basterfield in which he said he encourages pollen mites to clear combs of mummified pollen and I always wondered how. They used to pop up frequently in stored frames containing pollen, and I cherished them for their recycling efforts. I see the powdery results of their labours less frequently these days. (Are they also a casualty of the use of miticides?) Pity they are not as common, as I could have done with a few last year to clear out some solid pollen. I resorted to scraping the comb back to the midrib to hoik the pellets out - it resulted in a few holes in the combs but the bees, bless em, put it all to rights.

I'd rather host a population of these delightful little things, though.