Chalkbrood

orvette1 · January 04, 2009, 10:18:18 PM

I live in Honolulu. It has been raining lots the last few weeks, and it is cold. I think I have chalkbrood, but since I have never seen it before I'm not sure. Do you know of a place that has pictures of it? My frames have a scattered brood pattern, the larvae looking like they are surrounded with a white fuzzy mold.

Michael Bush · January 04, 2009, 11:08:35 PM

http://www.bushfarms.com/beespests.htm#chalkbrood

Click on the thumbnail to expand it.

TwT · January 05, 2009, 12:28:24 AM

this is also a good site for info on Honey Bee Parasites, Pests, Predators and Diseases Images and Text

http://maarec.cas.psu.edu/pest&disease/pppdIndex.html

BjornBee · January 05, 2009, 07:33:48 AM

Quote from: TwT on January 05, 2009, 12:28:24 AM
this is also a good site for info on Honey Bee Parasites, Pests, Predators and Diseases Images and Text

http://maarec.cas.psu.edu/pest&disease/pppdIndex.html

TwT, I use that site all the time.

Once started, chalk, because of the time period to develop, may linger for a good period of time. It will limit buildup and take it's toll on hive strength, but will not kill the hive outright.

Scadsobees · January 05, 2009, 02:22:01 PM

Sounds like your conditions are ripe for it. It may clear up on its own, or it may take re-queening to clear it up. If you don't like your queen then now is a good time to try requeening. It took me a full year to clear one hive up since I had to wait till late spring before I could get a new queen in there, and that hive never produced any honey.

Rick

Kathyp · January 05, 2009, 07:53:16 PM

i think i am the chalkbrood master this last year....

if you have chalkbrood you will see "mummies" like the ones in MB's pictures on your bottom board or entrance. you may also see mummies in the cells. fuzzy sound more like moldy brood that is already dead.

you can take some pics and ask one of the moderators to post them for you. that will give us all a chance to see what you see.

orvette1 · January 06, 2009, 11:21:01 PM

Thank you for all of the help. I haven't been able to look for mummys yet. This is a nuc with a new queen. It is getting dry and warm, so it should clear up.

BjornBee · January 07, 2009, 07:12:32 AM

Quote from: orvette1 on January 06, 2009, 11:21:01 PM
Thank you for all of the help. I haven't been able to look for mummys yet. This is a nuc with a new queen. It is getting dry and warm, so it should clear up.

One of the things that many nuc producers experience is that you can make up a nuc from a full size hive or a simple split, etc., and even though no visable signs of chalk were seen in the mother colony, chalk can easily outbreak in the nuc. Not sure if it is a imbalance of bees (nurse to worker, etc.) to when the nuc was made up, a difference in environment inside the hive (Less moisture control, etc.) or just the added stress of making of the nuc or the placing of the nuc in a full size hive. But chalk can be seen with nucs at an increased level. We always mention moisture and queen replacement with chalk. But chalk is also listed as one of the "stress diseases". And we know stress can throw a normal functioning colony into many problems.

TwT · January 07, 2009, 09:12:35 PM

you know I never thought of it that way, good info, I have never had chalk brood but have seen it, I see how after you posted this that some nuc's could have it from different things other than the old queen bee.

BjornBee · January 07, 2009, 10:14:35 PM

Quote from: TwT on January 07, 2009, 09:12:35 PM
you know I never thought of it that way, good info, I have never had chalk brood but have seen it, I see how after you posted this that some nuc's could have it from different things other than the old queen bee.

Yeah....I find it easy to blame about everything on the old lady also.. :roll: