Chalkbrood

[Vance G]

I have queens from four different supplier and they all have in common bad chalkbrood problems. THis is on splits made on last years newly drawn extracting frames and old black drawn comb in other hives. Is there anything to be done othr than wait for our cold wet weather to be over?

[adam@azapiaries]

I wish I had an answer, We have been dealing with chalk for years. It just wont go away. Like you, it dosn't seem like the genetic stock makes much difference. I spent $100 on a hygenic breeder queen and her daughter queens get chalk as much as any other queens. I think our cool damp spring starts the ball rolling. I have seen chalk in colonies that were started from packages on new plastic foundation. Good luck, Adam

[Vance G]

That is kinda what I figured but felt I should ask. This is the worst I have ever seen it in number of affected cells and number of hives. I live in dry country but this year it has been a lot of wet and cold weather. Thanks.

[jrbbees]

I have read CB is a result of mosture build up in the hive.
Can you increase the air flow in a few hives as a test?

[RAK]

If your bottom entrance is all the ventilation you have then chalk-brood will show up. I had chalkbrood before so I glued shims on all my migratory covers which created an upper entrance and chalkbrood disappeared. Also as the splits grow stronger the chalkbrood will decrease.

[Rick 1456]

It is tough sometimes once it gets rolling. I have one hive that was a split from a friends that had it. All last year, through two queens, moving into more sunlight, quilt type inner cover, ect. It did not seem to affect the hive as it is very strong and productive. You have to figure that a hive has a high moisture content all the time. Ripening nectar, bringing in water for cooling, heating the hive produces moisture. In Maryland, we are noted for our high humidity summer heat. Ouch! I started removing the comb that was obviously affected. Old very dark well used comb. Tossed it, brood and all. Scorched the frame with a torch. Replaced the frame with a foundation less frame. I've done that twice. I haven't seen but a couple if that since then.
You may draw your own conclusions. JMO, re queening was not the answer in my case, ventilation was not effective. (enough) It seems to me, it becomes established, or reservoirs in the comb some how. Maybe the comb doesn't get a "brood break" so it is continuous. Might explain why what I did was successful, at least in part. Knocked it down to where the bees and conditions could suppress it. All speculation on my part.

[Michael Palmer]

It's the queens. Don't care who they came from. It's the queens. Requeen with proven hygienic stock and the chalk will disappera. You can try increasing the ventilation, moving them into the sun, and covering then with banana peels...it's the queens. Try requeening with Pat Heitkam's hygienic stock. Worked for me years ago.

[adam@azapiaries]

It's the queens. Don't care who they came from. It's the queens. Requeen with proven hygienic stock and the chalk will disappera. You can try increasing the ventilation, moving them into the sun, and covering then with banana peels...it's the queens. Try requeening with Pat Heitkam's hygienic stock. Worked for me years ago.

Michael, Last weekend, we had Randy Oliver speak at our club and we showed him some hives with Chalk Brood. He also said to look for resistant stock as a long term solution. In the short term, he put me in touch with someone who is working on a treatment. Too early in our conversation to say anything on this forum. but it will be interesting what he has to say. Randy also said to try the banana peel treatment as a shot in the dark. One thing for sure, some hives get it so bad that the bees just struggle all year to get ahead of it and are therefore unproductive.

[Beehaive]

I had CB pretty bad and what worked for me was both top and bottom ventilation and tea tree oil. CB is a fungus and tea tree oil is a anti fungal. Ruth and John Seaborn from Wolf Creek Aparies have a recipe on how to give it to your bees in sugar syrup, they recommend feeding for a month.

[URL="http://wolfcreekbees.com/home.htm"]

It worked for me and the stuff is cheap and natural.

[megank]

Fumigate with Formic acid and watch what happens...