More Sacbrood around this year?

[masterBK]

Is there more sacbrood around this year ? I have seen it in several apiaries both in Yorkshire and in Surrey this spring. For the first 45 years of my beekeeping experience I never actually saw it in my own or other peoples colonies (although was shown it on a comb at Luddington: remember Luddington? ) but in the last few years I have seen it in the occasional colony but this year have seen it in several colonies including three of my own.

 

[alanf]

Is there more sacbrood around this year ?

Less sacbrood than last year, but seen more chalkbrood - usual warnings of a small sample apply.

 

[susbees]

No sacbrood (had some in one colony two years ago...harvested too many young bees for apideas), no chalkbrood, two moderate nosema (one gone - small, one stronger - on Bailey change for nosema), one moderate CBPV type 2, recovering. At a guess a lot of beekeepers wouldn't notice it. I do wonder how many have forsaken proper Spring brood disease checks with the wonky start to the season.

 

[DanBee]

... just wait 'til somebody confirms a sighting of stonebrood...

OK, seriously, as others have said Chalkbrood is much more prevalent for obvious reasons, although we do tend to have a small background incidence of sacbrood most years. Nothing major, just a few slippers per comb or indeed per colony.

 

[susbees]

... just wait 'til somebody confirms a sighting of stonebrood...

Me! Me!......

 

[Hivemaker.]

OK, seriously, as others have said Chalkbrood is much more prevalent for obvious reasons

Cull queens in colonies that have chalk brood.

 

[Polyanwood]

I've seen sacbrood in one colony. Never seen it before.

 

[Chris B]

Saw a case on Saturday where the slippers had all turned brown and crispy looking.
I can't give you any definite numbers but yes I reckon it's slightly more prevalent in my bees this spring, but apart from the aforementioned case it's not many cells and only a small minority of colonies.

 

[MuswellMetro]

I've seen sacbrood in one colony. Never seen it before.

same, first time i have heard of a recent report of it in North London, so bad Caroline the SBI suggested one of our members should cull both colonies as she thought they would not survive