Chalkbrood timing

[Niwatori]

How long does it take from the time a hive is infected with chalkbrood, until the first dried larve bodies get tossed out of the hive?  I installed a nuc on May 24 and noticed dried bees yesterday, June 6. Was the nuc already infected when I bought it?

[abejaruco]

In my experience, chalk brood is a "royal" problem. The queen is "beheadable".

[Mici]

my observations..it has a lot to do with luck
tried ventilation-in vain
tried good overwintering food-in vain
tried requeening-in vain
tried spraying with aple cider vinegar-in vain
tried (actually it happened) good pasture, sunny weather-in vain
tried some medicament-in vain

all my attempts have been in vain, but now...actually last week chalk brood dissapeared, just like that, plus weather conditions have been in the last twoo weeks umm i'll say damp, rainy, cloudy...

one of theoryies is that stress is one of causes and so...installing a nuc in a bigger hive would be considered as stress. but hell, i don't know.
many advise requeening like abejaruco, i must say i tried it only once, so i should not be accepting it as a rule. but if you bought this nuc from someone, contact him and tell him about it. try to get him to give you some other hive or at least a new queen.

the general problem is, lots of us newbees go and buy a nuc without knowing what to look for. i just said "give me two, how should i know which two" now i know that reading a little literature prior buying would been helpful

[doak]

Something to look for. If at all   possible, inspect the frames and note whether its new wax or dark old wax. Also ask for a State health inspection certificate. Ask if it is this years nuc or one that wintered over. With all this it is obvious, if the seller makes excuses and studders around about it, (That is if the person isn't a studderer  naturaly) Then I would be cautious. My Mentor studders naturally but I don't have a prob with him.

After all is said and done, sometime it is better for a new-bee, to start with a queen-package and new equipment.
I did not and (SUFFERED) for 2 years because of it.

Don't care who contridicts this, and wish you all  well in your endeavors.

doak

[Michael Bush]

According to Marla Spivak it's a lack of hygienic behavior.  A hygienic queen would be the solution.

I find it clears up when the weather warms up.

[Mici]

According to Marla Spivak it's a lack of hygienic behavior.  A hygienic queen would be the solution.

I find it clears up when the weather warms up.

darn, this might be it, because right about now, all the bees from previous queen should have died off and the bees from the new one, take over. but...there's the other hive, which also suffered from it, not that severe, but still

[chicago.cyclist]

First I'd like to introduce myself: new to this forum, and also new to beekeeping.  This morning I noticed the signs of chalkbrood as well.  Of course at the time I didn't know what it was, but it didn't take me long to figure it out on the web.

We just introduced the colony a week ago today.  We got the nuc from a beekeeper in the suburbs (I'm in Chicago) who captured a swarm.  The installation went extremely smoothly, and the next day the bees were lively and foraging as we might expect.  But after only one good weather day, almost immediately the weather turned cool and rainy.  Then it was hot but intensely windy.

Today at last the weather is mild, sunny, about 72 degrees and 38% humidity, so the weather is getting better, it's predicted to stay about the same but with increasing temps, and I'm optimistic the colony will recover soon on its own, based on what I've read.

I mainly wanted to chime in because the timing of our problem was very similar to that of the original poster of this thread, in case that's helpful information.

--Chris

[kathyp]

i have it in one hive this year also, although i have not seen any sign of it since the weather got better.  i had thought, and still  wonder, if they were larvae cleaned out of old comb.  since i don't know, i'll just pay more attention to ventilation and watch for singes of it.  good queen.   don't want to replace her.

i contacted the place that bulk ordered our bees.  no one else has reported a problem. 

[Mici]

guess what?
it stopped raining, it's sunny..etc etc, great weather.
chalk brood is back but only in one, but still i'm totally puzzled!!!!

[Michael Bush]

Honey instead of syrup may contribute to clearing this up, since sugar syrup is much more alkali (higher pH) than honey.

    "Lower pH values (equivalent to those found in honey, pollen, and brood food) drastically reduced enlargement and germ-tube production. Ascosphaera apis appears to be a pathogen highly specialized for life in honeybee larvae."--Author. Dept. Biological Sci., Plymouth Polytechnic, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, Devon, UK. Library code: Bb. Language: En. Apicultural Abstracts from IBRA: 4101024

[Cindi]

Michael, recalling.......I remember something about the pH of honey being less than sugar syrup.  Maybe sugar syrup should have an ingredient added to lower pH.  Can't remember, but I think this was all talked about in a thread.  Have a wonderful day, great life.  Cindi

[Niwatori]

Thank you all for your input.

John

[Mici]

had a supercession, took the old queen out, now, in the nuc, they have chalk brood...so much about "royal" problem.

[TwT]

requeen is all I know about chalk brood, I have been lucky an never had it but always heard it was the queen's fault so pinch away . its aways the womens fault