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Author Topic: 80 % sure I got chalkbrood  (Read 4274 times)

Offline bee-nuts

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80 % sure I got chalkbrood
« on: August 01, 2009, 03:30:36 am »
I bought A nuc a few weeks ago.  When I transfered it to a standard ten frame box I noticed some weird looking white stuff like dried up brood on bottom of a few cells.  I kind of ignored it in hopes I would never see it again.  Today I went through it again and there is more of it now.  Not only that but I now found it in another hive.  Does the stuff spread rapidly through apiary?  Is is a kind of thing that just comes at certain times of the year?  Did I just contaminate my whole apiary because I thought I was getting a good deal?  Should I ask to inspect my nucs before buying them?  Do you?

Sounds like there is no way of getting ride of it.  I did not have my cam today but next week I will get some good shots and post to confirm, but It has to be chalkbrood.  This sucks.  Yep, I know, I have to get used to it.

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Online Kathyp

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Re: 80 % sure I got chalkbrood
« Reply #1 on: August 01, 2009, 12:39:22 pm »
yes you should inspect your nucs :-)

chalkbrood is usually self limiting.  warmer and drier weather will usually make it go away.  not always.  some few hives seem not to be able to overcome it and it can  reduce brood survival to the point that the hive fails.  this is not common.

chalkbrood is cause by a fungus.  to the extent that you can reduce the conditions friendly to fungus, you can reduce the chalkbrood.  warm, dry, and ventilated conditions are best.

requeening has often been advised.  i am not sure i understand that logic except to get a young queen in there that can out lay the brood loss from chalkbrood.


i have had a number of hives with chalkbrood.  with one exception, all have done fine.
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Offline bee-nuts

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Re: 80 % sure I got chalkbrood
« Reply #2 on: August 02, 2009, 12:26:52 am »
OK, I will not get to exited about it.  July was the coldest July on record where I am in Wisconsin.  I know aphids will get out of control on soybean if the temps remain mild as heat will knock there numbers down.  So hopefully we will have a warmer August and it will clear up.

Thank you for all your input on this post and others

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Offline bee-nuts

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Re: 80 % sure I got chalkbrood
« Reply #3 on: September 09, 2009, 11:12:22 pm »
As soon as this stuff came it was gone. 

I think I have it again though.  I am lazy at wiring frames and do an x with one wire on one side and another on the other side.  For some reason where the x forms on either side the queen likes to lay eggs in my honey supers.  I thought this was a fluke at first but it continues to happen in my honey suppers.  Like a patch of 6 to ten.  I think these get neglected or something because they all look like they are drying up or something.  I was wondering if they died because they were not feed.  They don't look like mummy's yet but they look dry and flaky.  I guess I should take pictures of these if I see them again.

Any way has anyone ever seen this egg laying in the cells by the lazy mans x.  It is weird and I don't understand why she lays here.  These cells do seem to be deformed when the bees draw them for some reason.
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Offline Finski

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Re: 80 % sure I got chalkbrood
« Reply #4 on: September 15, 2009, 02:57:54 pm »
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Offline Scadsobees

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Re: 80 % sure I got chalkbrood
« Reply #5 on: September 16, 2009, 01:51:58 pm »
If you see the chalkbrood again in the spring then you will want to seriously consider requeening.  Genetics can play a role in how much chalkbrood is in a hive, due to the hygenic nature of the bees.  That worked for me.

As for your lazy man's x...I don't know.  I have the opposite where the queen will lay everywhere on a brood comb EXCEPT in the cells that correspond to the wire.

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Offline Finski

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Re: 80 % sure I got chalkbrood
« Reply #6 on: September 16, 2009, 02:22:43 pm »
.  Genetics can play a role in how much chalkbrood is in a hive, due to the hygenic nature of the bees.  That worked for me.


It is not hygienic. Tolerant bees are tolerant and they do not get the disese.

Hygienic means that they carry out contaminated brood. That is not the key.

There is no chemical cure against chalkbrood and so only way is to select strictly the bees which tolerate the disease and others can go to bushes.

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Offline bee-nuts

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Re: 80 % sure I got chalkbrood
« Reply #7 on: September 17, 2009, 02:28:03 am »
Thanks Finski

I will keep genetics in mind.  I am going to raise as many new colonies as I can afford and have time for next year.  I will change my tacktics many times over as I learn I'm sure.  I am going to raise queens from my best hive (very explosive build up) and buy some from a local commercial beekeeper I respect and order a few from abroad.  I have all Italian right now.  I really want to try some others like carnica and russian.  Do you think I should keep these in separate yards?  That is the only thing that gives me hesitation on trying them.  I have three locations now and a fourth available.

Also I have read about a bee called Elgin.  Are you familiar with it?  I think some raise them in Sweden.

Thanks again
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Offline Finski

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Re: 80 % sure I got chalkbrood
« Reply #8 on: September 23, 2009, 06:47:07 pm »
Thanks Finski


Also I have read about a bee called Elgin.  Are you familiar with it?  I think some raise them in Sweden.

Thanks again

I had Carnica 10 years. I was not satiefied their tendency to swarm  I started again  with Italians.
 I tried Elgons too. Crossings with italians were awfull. Furious gang and swarmy.

My opinion is that if you cross very different strains, they get back their wild features like swarming and hive protecting.

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