UNHAPPY HIVE. #baldbrood

The brood frames in one of my hives looked odd. I'd not seen anything like it before so I made the mistake of googling what the problem mights be. Well that was like googling a headache and coming to the assumption you have an impending brain tumor! Fear/panic set in as I came to the conclusion it must be a nasty bee disease called European Foul Brood. So... what to do next... watch the video!

Many thanks to Jack Silberrad (BSc Hons Ind. Dip) a Bee Farmer and Regional Bee Inspector/Western Region for the National Bee Unit and Animal and Plant Health Agency who acted immediately and will continue to guide me through to the end of this problem.

#honeybees #beekeeping #apiary #apiarylife #beekeeper #speaker #childrensauthor
#honeybees #beekeerping #apiary #baldbrood #varroa #waxmoth

[honeybeesforsale]

That is a tricky one when there are so many open cells. As I don't treat for mites anymore and I do expect to see some bald brood - a few here and there - but nowhere near as many as that.

[honeybeesforsale]

Now we know - bald brood is an excellent trait of Varroa sensitive bees. Hygienic behaviour!

[vees_bees]

I am so sorry to hear, but appreciate you sharing this information with all of us. Please keep us posted and wishing you all the very best!

[RoloTomasi]

I’m glad you have the option of Jack for advice, sounds like Varroa alright, but far from being a disaster you’re actually quite lucky coz’ it looks like your bees are displaying Varroa Sensitive Hygiene (VSH) traits and are inadvertently causing Suppressed Mite Reproduction (SMR) so you have great genetics in that colony!👌Though you should probably give them a helping hand and do a Varroa sugar shake test (I’m guessing you wouldn’t be a fan of the more accurate alcohol shake test which will kill the ~300 bees tested?) before considering an organic treatment like Thymol if the mite count suggests further action is needed. Though the colony may be successfully controlling Varroa via the SMR/VSH behaviour 🤞Best of luck!

[Bowhuntersgoxzx]

Possibly AFB / American Foul Brood --- Does the frame stink ??? Just asking / not telling !