Chalkbrood

[rharlow]

So, I have several questions related to chalkbrood. First some background. Rcvd an over-wintered Nuc in early May. Installed in Deep same day. Within a week, started to see some dried brood on front porch, but thought it might be some old brood they had cleaned out from the 5 other frames I gave them. After another week of continuing to see more dried brood, I finally realized it was chalkbrood. (Had never seen it before). My research said that they will outgrow it and that it is thought to be caused by stress and possibly environmental factors as in moist environs with low circulation. Well, the weather had been like that for a week, and was going to be like that for another week - great!

So, the dried brood on the doorstep has continued, but finally we have some good weather. Every weekly inspection I had sighted the queen, and she was doin her thing. Big dark queen! I've read that sometimes one needs to replace the queen. So my questions:

How long do I give them, to out grow this?

When do I make a decision to pinch the queen, and why would that work if chalkbrood spores are prevalent everywhere, and certainly now in this hive.

Do I need to be concerned with sharing equipment with other hives, disinfecting hive tool, etc?

Would making a split, by pulling this queen and put in a nuc, and then adding a new queen to the old hive be a possible solution? Or would I now have two hives with chalkbrood?

Frustrated and looking for a way to turn this hive around. Lastly, should I notify the Nuc provider?

Thanks for your thoughts!!!

Chip

[camero7]

I have a couple of nucs with chalk. My solution is to put a split banana on the top bars. Sounds crazy but I got this tip from Dave Miksa and tried it last year on another hive. Worked like a charm.

[ozzylr]

I have had chalkbrood in years past and seen it in commercial yards but it doesn't usually persist. It can be found in the spring and during damp conditions but isn't seen in hot dry weather. Some queens don't have the genetics to lay resistant brood so usually I would replace the queen with one from another breeder. I have seen piles of chalk brood mummies in front of colonies that despite their losses were strong and productive. If your queen is laying a good pattern I would leave it over the cost and limited success of requeening.

[Rick 1456]

My buddy has a hive that kicks out chalk brood every day. 100 or so as far as we can tell. The hive is strong as it can be. The queens have changed in this hive over the last couple of years. The chalk brood persists. It is a fungus that is exacerbated by moisture. At some point, I believe it gets inherent in the comb. So, yes, I would have concerns about cross contamination. The one hive I have that exhibits this came as a split from my friends hive. Good strong hive, some CB. I finally started removing frames of comb that the CB was evident and replaced it. It is pretty much gone as far as I can tell. You have to access what the root cause is. I would not be too hasty in re queening. Always complications with that. JMO Ventilation, sun exposure, , IMHO, re queening has never fixed the problem for me. I'd rather toss some comb than dump a good queen.

[HONEYDEW]

My solution is to put a split banana on the top bars. Sounds crazy but I got this tip from Dave Miksa and tried it last year on another hive. Worked like a charm.

with or without the skin, and very ripe or very green or just right...

[camero7]

without the skin and just right they'll clean it up pretty fast.

[Keth Comollo]

My solution is to put a split banana on the top bars. Sounds crazy but I got this tip from Dave Miksa and tried it last year on another hive. Worked like a charm.

As the old saying goes "You learn something new every day!"

[rharlow]

Thanks Cam. Read an Australian article that suggested anecdotally, that bananas may work. Also, just ran across some stuff that mentioned potential benefits of HBH or essential oils, as they have some anti-fungal properties. I have just given them some syrup with homemade hbh, and will also try the banana.

Although, if it works, I'll still not know for sure if it was just time and better (drier and sunnier) weather, or if it was hbh or bananas! But at least it will be gone, and that is the goal. Thanks

[Rick 1456]

I do not discount the effects of bananas on chalkbrood. No experience with it. Decomposition of plants release some interesting stuff sometimes. Does anyone know what anti fungal materials are potentially being released from the BP? In college, we used to put apple peels in bags of certain leafy material to keep it from molding We did something else with the Banana peels I'm making that up.

[camero7]

We did something else with the Banana peels I'm making that up.

No you're not. I'm an old hippie and back in the '60's some thought that smoking banana peels would get you high. Didn't work for me and tasted terrible. Of course, if you can remember the 60's you weren't really there

[Rick 1456]

Yeah, but what about the apple peels

[camero7]

Might try grinding them up and snorting them. Let me know how it works

[Rick 1456]

It BBBBUUUURRRRNNNSSSS

[rharlow]

So still dealing with this!

Started feeding the hive with top feeder w/ syrup and homemade HBH. Researching showed that essential oils had a possibility of helping, so I gave it a try. The hive seemed to slow laying for a week or two, probably due to a small dry spell in flow that we had, but then started to get laying some more. Then started seeing more dried up brood on doorstep. Went in yesterday and had to lift screened bottom board to dump the bodies!

So, now I'm trying the banana route. After peeling, cut a banana length wise and put one half between deeps and the other on top of the frames of upper deep. Still feeding with Syrup and homemade HBH.

How long do I try this for? When should they be able to out grow the chalkbrood?

If I re-queen, which is reported as a possible solution, do I re-queen and use the same equipment??? Is there a way to dis-infect the equipment and frames? Or do I trash all of it and shake bees into new equipment?

Thanks for your thoughts and advice and suggestions!!

[johng]

Yes, just requeen the hive you have. Here is a vidieo talking about chalk brood. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lqq4W...feature=relmfu

[Rick 1456]

Let me say first, I am a treatment free bee keeper. It works for me My privilege as as an individual. So, the things I'll toss at you, come from that "practice".
IMHO, the bees are dealing with a fungus, exacerbated by moisture. You are feeding them which seems like it would be adding moisture. I know nothing about HBH. I am familiar with EOs but used as an insecticide, ie, SHB and mites. I am not familiar with them on a fungicidal level. Are the EOs u are using fungicidal? Again, JMHO, but the bees are dealing with the CB, and now have to deal with the extra moisture, the EOs, and whatever is in the HBH. Tossing a new queen in that mix,,,,not something I would do. Just me
When my car needs a tune up, I replace the sparks plugs, not the engine. Do the least intrusive things first if possible.
I have not seen a CB mummy in a month since I removed the infested frames.
I wish you the best in what you decide and do.

[rharlow]

Thoughts on moisture are interesting, although not sure how feeding would be any different than them evaporating down nectar? As far as EOs, supposedly the EOs in HBH are antifungal, and therefore anectodal evidence has suggested it may be good for chalkbrood. Removing frames with chalkbrood and inserting "fresh" foundation seems like a good idea.

[camero7]

So still dealing with this!


How long do I try this for? When should they be able to out grow the chalkbrood?

I just use one banana and let them clean it out. Chalk is gone in a week or so.

[Vance G]

I had terrible chalkbrood in virtually all my hives in our cold wet spring. As soon as it dried up the chalkbrood was instantly gone. It was in all four genetics I have. I would requeen but this year genetics didn't seem to matter. The last time I stuck a piece of banana in a hive at someones advice, by hand turned gray with stinging bees and was swollen for a week. Bananas make bees instantly unhappy so be careful following any advice containing BANANAS! Some moron was on here last year advocating that people smear on banana before working bees, he thought it was a good joke.

[camero7]

I had terrible chalkbrood in virtually all my hives in our cold wet spring. As soon as it dried up the chalkbrood was instantly gone. It was in all four genetics I have. I would requeen but this year genetics didn't seem to matter. The last time I stuck a piece of banana in a hive at someones advice, by hand turned gray with stinging bees and was swollen for a week. Bananas make bees instantly unhappy so be careful following any advice containing BANANAS! Some moron was on here last year advocating that people smear on banana before working bees, he thought it was a good joke.

I have put bananas on several hives over the last 4 years. I have never had bees react badly.