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Long story short. I had a booming hive, I put a super on before this cold snap we just had. I thought they'd have no problems, they had some extra honey etc.
Well I was wrong. What did I find when I checked today? Early signs of European foulbrood. Twisted uncapped larva in their cells, dying. That's all it took to go from nearly swarming to decline - and empty super prior to a cold snap.
It's difficult to decide what to do this spring. I've opted towards not supering, but all the hives that were not supered are now laying eggs in swarm cells.
So I either have colonies laying swarm cells, not supered, or I super, and they get stressed out from the erratic weather, and develop diseases.
EFB seems to be the disease of choice...or maybe I'm mis-diagnosing chilled brood as EFB.
Well I was wrong. What did I find when I checked today? Early signs of European foulbrood. Twisted uncapped larva in their cells, dying. That's all it took to go from nearly swarming to decline - and empty super prior to a cold snap.
It's difficult to decide what to do this spring. I've opted towards not supering, but all the hives that were not supered are now laying eggs in swarm cells.
So I either have colonies laying swarm cells, not supered, or I super, and they get stressed out from the erratic weather, and develop diseases.
EFB seems to be the disease of choice...or maybe I'm mis-diagnosing chilled brood as EFB.