[kugoggio]

Hello,
I'm a 3 week new beekeeper! Love the bees.
I have 2 hives, discovered yesterday one has chalkbrood.

Reading & research tells me it may remedy itself as the hive gets stronger (hopefully of course!) and warmer weather. I'm in WI, it's been raining alot and more is expected. I have not looked inside the hive, only noted carcasses at entrance.

I have few questions that I can't find answers to.

How likely is it my healthy hive will get it? (it's sitting right next to the infested one of course).

My healthy hive feds about 2x's more sugar water than the infested one...does this mean something?
Both hives seem to have similar activity, pollen collecting, etc.

I keep reading about 'replacing the outer frames'. (?)

Any help greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
K

 

[Iddee]

http://maarec.cas.psu.edu/bkcd/bee_dise ... brood.html



""Diseased larvae can be found throughout the brood-rearing season, but are most prevalent in late spring when the brood nest is rapidly expanding. Chalkbrood usually disappears or declines as the air temperature rises in the summer. Affected larvae are found on the outer fringes of the brood nest where there are not enough nurse bees to maintain brood nest temperature. Brood cells can be either sealed or unsealed. Young pupae or recently sealed larvae are most susceptible. Infected larvae, stretched out in their cells in an upright position, are removed by nurse bees two to three days after symptoms first appear. Dead larvae (mummies) are often found in front of the hive, on the landing board, or in the pollen trap. In strong colonies, most of these mummies will be discarded by worker bees outside of the hive, thus reducing the possibility of reinfection from those that have died from the disease.""

 

[Robo]

If the adjacent hive is strong, it should ot be an issue.

If the affected hive has a SBB, I would close it up. Heat retention will help them to build up quicker.

 

[kugoggio]

thank you Iddee, your post reaffirms info I've been reading.
It just sank in tho that it must be a pretty strong colony that they are discarding the mummies.
thank you robo, I don't know what a SBB is tho. (I thought I was getting smart thinking you meant solid bottom board...then i typed that I have screened bottom boards and realized it's the same acronym...hmmm?) :?
I have entrance reducers in both. good/bad? ventalization vs heat?
So any correlation that the chalk colony eats about 1/2 the sugar water as the healthy colony?

 

[Robo]

thank you Iddee, your post reaffirms info I've been reading.
I don't know what a SBB is tho.

SBB is usually used for screened bottom boards

So any correlation that the chalk colony eats about 1/2 the sugar water as the healthy colony?

Yes, they aren't raising as much brood so the need is less. Colony growth is exponential. the more bees in the colony, the more brood than can be covered, kept fed and warmed.