Subject: chalkbrood/how to eliminate?

From: [email-masked] (Stephen Kiss)
Date: 29 Jun 1996 02:17:42 GMT

I have several hives with chalkbrood  which is noticeably keeping the bee 
population down. Could anyone offer me some advice regarding this?

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From: [email-masked] ( Ian Lawrie)
Date: Sat, 29 Jun 1996 14:56:00 GMT

>population down. Could anyone offer me some advice regarding this?

In Australia, we have to contact the Agriculture Dept. as this is a
notifiable disease.  If this is the case (Chalk Brood), you should
probably be destroying the hives or least fumigating/irradiating them.
I am not too sure, check the Ag. Dept. to know for sure because the
chalk brood affected hives will become weak and robbing will
occur...these bees take home the disease hen you lose more hives,
other apiarists become affected if their bees are in on the looting as
well so you need to act sort of FAST to be totally fair and realistic
to yourself, your bees, other Apiarists and all feral colonies of bees
which can become landmines of infection.
Good Luck!!
Ian

Disclaimer:  Opinions of mine, not my employer!!!

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From: [email-masked] (BusyKnight)
Date: Thu, 27 Jun 1996 04:25:14 GMT

[email-masked] ( Ian Lawrie) wrote:
>If this is the case (Chalk Brood), you should
Good god man, your government sure takes drastic measures
over minor problems!

To the original poster:  JUST REQUEEN -- that should cure the
problem.  There is no known treatment for Chalkbrood.

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From: [email-masked] (Indrakumar Vetharaniam)
Date: 1 Jul 1996 03:51:17 GMT

Stephen Kiss ([email-masked]) wrote:
: I have several hives with chalkbrood  which is noticeably keeping the bee 
: population down. Could anyone offer me some advice regarding this?

Chalkbrood is endemic in many countries, and is not considered a major
disease, though it can occasionally destroy a colony. It is a "stress"
disease, and has adverse impacts on colonies when the colony is already
weakened, or is suffering from other conditions. 

In the case of chalk brood, which is a fungal disease, such conditions
are usually damp conditions inside the hive. If this appears to be the
case for your hive, you may wish to increase the ventilation, perhaps
replacing the floorboard if it is damp, and ensuring plenty of
ventilation under the hive by elevating it a few inches. Also, if your
hives are situated in a damp area (such as the bottom of a gully) it
may pay to relocate them to a drier area.

The mummies of chalkbrood victims are sources of reinfection, so
remove and destroy any brood combs which have a large proportion of
mummies. Uniting weak colonies together will also help, since a strong
colony is more able to fight disease than a weak one.

--
Kumar             oo*",ooo***"""
___________    o*****" :****:.,
\        o"""""o     ":        "*;
 \    o*## `'' ##*o   $           ",  So we the bees make honey,
  \  *  ###   ###     :           ,'
   \    /#     #"*:::* "**::::$:*"      but not for ourselves.
    \  /, ":::"  $   "$        $
     \/$    $   $      $        "$
      $         $       "$        "$

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From: [email-masked] (Peter Murphy)
Date: Mon, 01 Jul 1996 22:21:15 GMT

>population down. Could anyone offer me some advice regarding this?

 We had chalkbrood for first time last Summer.  It severeley effected
every hive in a 50 hive apiary.  As chalkbrood is a recent
introduction to Australia I believe the bees had little resistance and
hopefully things will be better this summer.  Very little honey
collected for whole season.  All the tried and true methods of control
were applied, including requeening, all failed to stem the tide.
Three mile down the road I have not had one case of chalkbrood.  

At the time of the outbreak we were feeding Soy flour in the open and
I believe this was why the problem was so complete

No our Ag Dept (New South Wales) does not recommend destruction, just
as well I would have been wiped out!  Chalk brood is now considered
endemic to the Eastern States here in Australia.  Its effects at this
early stage range from mildly annoying to near disaster! No doubt,
with time, it will abate.

Peter Murphy

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From: [email-masked] (Craig Gammon)
Date: 2 Jul 1996 14:48:55 GMT

Peter:

	In Canada, our personal experience with chalkbrood has been 
that it may be based upon insufficient hive ventilation.  I don't 
understand the scientific aspects, however, it is my understanding that 
chalkbrood is related to excessive heat and moisture.  A number of 
beekeepers up here have improved the ventilation in their hives and the 
chalkbrood vanished.

	One thing you can try is take an empty deep or dadant box and 
stretch and staple window screening over the entire underside of the 
box.  Then, drill 1 and 1/2 inch holes all around the box, about 3 
inches down from the top of the box.  Screen in the holes.  When that's 
done, put the box on top of the hive (allowing bee space between the 
screening and the topbar of the frames) and then put the lid on top of 
that.  The idea is that the hot, moist air goes up into the empty box 
and vents out the holes.  Consequently, the hive can concentrate on 
foraging and dehydrating the nectar.  For some reason, the chalkbrood 
leaves, too.

Craig G.

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From: [email-masked] (Indrakumar Vetharaniam)
Date: 3 Jul 1996 04:51:37 GMT

BusyKnight ([email-masked]) wrote:
: [email-masked] ( Ian Lawrie) wrote:
: >If this is the case (Chalk Brood), you should
: >probably be destroying the hives or least fumigating/irradiating them.
: Good god man, your government sure takes drastic measures
: over minor problems!

The Australian measures would be drastic if chalkbrood were endemic in
Australia. However, chalkbrood does not occur in Australia (unless it 
has sneaked in recently), and so the Australian measures are
appropriate to prevent the disease becoming established in that
country.