sacbrood?

[taff..]

this is a colony that is headed by last years queen and overwintered ok (ish) on their own stores.

at the beginning spring there was a little bit of poo staining around the enterance, but not so much that I was really worried, there was nothing on the frames or inside if the broodbox and they were slower than my other colony to build up, but the queen was laying,

last inspection was on the 5th May and the brood pattern was a bit spotty, but the cells that were the spots were empty, today we have this....

I've searched here and google images and it looks to be consistent with sacbrood, if you've dealt with sacbrood before would you agree?

I understand the cure is requeen from other stock, so thankfully that's quite easy

 

[snoop]

I thought sac brood was where the larva failed to complete the 5th moult. This happens when it is capped. The head of the larva turns black from the moulting fluid not expelling into the cell & getting trapped . They don't look like that , to me they look like they are going to be capped. It might be the way they are showing on my computer screen

 

[RoofTops]

Might be also bald brood although the larva seem the wrong way round but the cells seem to have the raised lip which is an indication of this disease. The Fera leaflet on Foul Broods has some pictures and descriptions of this and other diseases. Worth checking out.

In sac brood the larva should be discoloured according to the leaflet but the larva would have their heads pointed inwards - which is what the photograph shows.

If it is sac brood then re-queening is the only option I understand. Bald brood is usually down to wax moth larva.

With either disease the colony is not supposed to suffer major harm so you may just wish to ignore it.

 

[enrico]

Maybe I am missing something but I can't see anything wrong!

 

[enrico]

I take that back..... Blowing the picture up there is something wrong with the larvae although I dont know what at the moment!
E

 

[darrenperrett]

It looks like sac brood to me Taff.

 

[taff..]

thanks for the replies, I worked myself up into a little bit of a lather because I knew there was something wrong but didn't know what, my main concern was for foul brood but it looks like that is not the case.

Might be also bald brood although the larva seem the wrong way round but the cells seem to have the raised lip which is an indication of this disease. The Fera leaflet on Foul Broods has some pictures and descriptions of this and other diseases. Worth checking out.

In sac brood the larva should be discoloured according to the leaflet but the larva would have their heads pointed inwards - which is what the photograph shows.

If it is sac brood then re-queening is the only option I understand. Bald brood is usually down to wax moth larva.

With either disease the colony is not supposed to suffer major harm so you may just wish to ignore it.

I had a small amount of bald brood in this colony at the end of last year (maybe a dozen or so cells) so I really think that I'd better find another queen this season

(I've zommed the 2nd photo in a bit more)

 

[Swarm]

Sacbrood.

 

[Meg]

Just seen this. Looks like chalk to me. Another photo or 2 would be good as a check.

Meg

 

[taff..]

Hi Meg.

the inspection that these photos were taken was the only inspection that I could really see this many open pupae. (and taking the photos with my phone was traumatic 'cos the bees really went angrilly at my phone for some reason ). all I've seen on inspections since is the spotty brood pattern with empty cells.

the pupae in the cells were looking wet/alive as opposed to the dried up look of chalk, there wasn't loads of chalkbrood on the floor either.

I have a queen on order for this colony

 

[Meg]

Fair enough taff. The thing is, early stages of chalk is only sort of dry-ish! Obviously the larvae has to die at some point and when it has just died it just looks dead and not chalky. If the bees are clearing it out efficiently as well - which they are doing looking at the chewed pupae etc in your photo, then it never has time to develop the full blown chalk look.

Only surmising here you understand without seeing it in reality.

Sounds like they are coping whatever given that you have only seen empty cells since.

Best Wishes,

Meg

 

[taff..]

Ahh, I understand where you're coming from now and you've put a little question mark in the back of my mind (not difficult some would say )

fortunately whether it's sacbrood or chalkbrood it's something that I think could do with sorting out, and the cure is the same

 

[mbc]

looks like chalk to me too

 

[ellypatt]

We saw sacbrood on our BKA course recently and it looked a quite like that. It wasn't discoloured, but there was only one. The end of the larvae was curled "like a Chinese slipper". You couldn't see the bee's head features clearly.