Chalkbrood question

[Beorn]

:scratch: We had a pretty chilly night this week and now I've started to see some mummified larvae on the monitoring tray below the bottom board. Is this chalkbrood? And if it is, should I stop seeing these mummies in a day or two. It's been pretty nice weather the past few days and my hives a really abuzz with activity. Is there any value in me opening the hive to take stock in what is happening?

[clarkfarm]

I am a second year beekeeper but since no one else yet has responded to your question, here is my response for what its worth. This year I bought a nuc that had chalkbrood from the start -- April 30. I read what I could find on chalkbrood on this forum and in books, etc. Decided not to requeen at this time and did not believe it was in the best interest of the bees to destroy the combs that came with the nuc as the rest of the box was undrawn foundation. I cleaned out the bottom board several times and did not see improvement until I looked last week. Still a few mummies but much, much better so I concluding that the warm weather will keep it at bay for the summer. On the other hand we have gone back to the 50's at night for a few days so maybe there will be a set back. Don't know. By the way the hive has grown into a second brood box so I am not too worried.

Here's hoping for both you and me that some forum members who have dealt with this for longer than we have will chime in. Cheers.

[Tom G. Laury]

I think that the black mummies are spore forming and spread the infection. Whisk broom the mummies from the floor onto a newspaper and dispose of away from the bees, boosting population, requeening, like the last poster saw, it often just clears up. Some say to put a "tiny bit" of bleach in syrup & feed but I never tried it.

[Roland]

Usually warm weather will clear it up. We had frost this morning......


Roland

[Michael Bush]

Chilled brood does seem to contribute to chalkbrood. It may take them some time to clean it all out.

Chalkbrood -

This is caused by a fungus Ascosphaera apis. It arrived in the US in 1968. The main cause is too much moisture in the hive. Add some ventilation. Prop open the inner cover or open up the SBB. If you find white pellets in front of the hive that kind of look like small corn kernels, you probably have chalkbrood. Putting the hive in full sun and adding more ventilation usually clears this up. Honey instead of syrup may contribute to clearing this up, since sugar syrup is much more alkali (higher pH) than honey.

"Lower pH values (equivalent to those found in honey, pollen, and brood food) drastically reduced enlargement and germ-tube production. Ascosphaera apis appears to be a pathogen highly specialized for life in honeybee larvae."--Author. Dept. Biological Sci., Plymouth Polytechnic, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, Devon, UK. Library code: Bb. Language: En. Apicultural Abstracts from IBRA: 4101024 Hygienic queens will also contribute to clearing this up. Hygienic bees will remove larvae before they fungus has created spores.

[winevines]

I read what I could find on chalkbrood on this forum and in books, etc. Decided not to requeen at this time and did not believe it was in the best interest of the bees to destroy the combs that came with the nuc as the rest of the box was undrawn foundation. .

VERY interesting. We bought nucs, not too far from your neck of the woods, but over the Mountain in Paige county. Out of 10 4 had chalkbrood. Of those 4, 2 cleaned up pretty quickly and we debated if it was really chalkbrood or chilled brood. Two of them have taken longer to clean up,and one guy decided to requeen which is recommended. I have heard there is chalkbrood in the valley in Paige county this year more than most.

[clarkfarm]

winevines - It IS very interesting because I came down the Valley and bought my nuc in Page County as well. ( With the tornado coming through yesterday, people in that county probably had more to worry about than Chalkbrood.)

My supplier has been so wonderfully helpful to me, I wouldn't be upset if he sold me 40 nucs with chalkbrood. I think he hangs the moon.