pepperpot brood

[Lois]

I appear to have some pepperpot brood on my inspection today and I'm not quite sure what to do know, do I need to re-queen asap? or is it too early to make that judgement?
If I do need to re-queen asap, who can tell me where to get a queen or who has a queen to sell? help needed. I thank you!

 

[VEG]

Is it just a case that some of the brood were laid earlier and have hatched? Are there eggs in the uncapped cells?

 

[Lois]

Ah, that I didn't see (even with my glasses but they could have been there), but I did see larvae and some hatching bees.

 

[thedeaddiplomat]

Is the sealed brood worker?

If it is all drone then you may, like me, have a laying worker.

 

[margob99]

What do you mean by "pepperpot brood"?

 

[Silly Bee]

Eggs/larvae scattered about.

 

[Tim1606]

What do the cappings look like? This may give us more of a clue.

I have had lines of open cells where the queen has not laid where the wire in the foundation is shallow. Are they in sort of straight diagonal lines?

 

[RoofTops]

A piccy would be great. Pepper pot brood can be the sign of something nasty - but hopefully not in this case.

 

[thurrock bees]

A piccy would be great. Pepper pot brood can be the sign of something nasty - but hopefully not in this case.

 

[Midland Beek]

I am with VEG until a picture convinces me otherwise. You can get brood of at different stages in the same patch of comb and sometimes if the older brood emerges it can give a somewhat worrying pattern.

 

[Lois]

Luckily I did take photos. I will upload them tomorrow after I have paid a small fortune to have my car fixed!

 

[Lois]

Well here are some pictures of the combs and foundation, does it look like pepperpot or am I mistaken?

 

[Silly Bee]

Not what I'd call "pepperpot" others will probably give their opinion,

 

[RoofTops]

It is not what I would call an ideal pattern. Cause might be chalkbrood - it is hard to see into the empty cells. The thing you don't want to see would be sunken cappings (possible AFB), which I don't see. However, if you can get the local bee inspector to check you would be wise. The scales of EFB are hard to spot - you need the light coming into the empty cell at just the right angle - and EFB will cause empty cells in a pattern rather like the first frame pictured. I was shown frames with both AFB and EFB by our local Bee inspector and they both had brood patterns like you first couple of images.

 

[Poly Hive]

Rooftops is of course right about the pattern but.....

Before we gallop down the disease line which so many are so keen to do, what might be a normal cause?

Chalk brood is pretty simple to diagnose, mummies on the floor.

Poor mating with possibly too many drones from too close to home?

A mis firing queen?

All three are easily rectified by re-queening. However please do get your BDI to run his expert disease eye over them first.

PH

 

[Lois]

I had them inspected by the BDI late last year and she diagnosed chalk brood, so this might still be the impact its having on my girls, she advised me to re queen, so I will do that as soon as I can get another queen.

Thank you for all your lovely help, you are wonderful.

 

[RoofTops]

As Sherlock Holmes said "facts, Watson, I need facts to work on" - or something like that. My first guess was chalk brood as it is very common and causes the pattern shown. You should find little mummies in some of the empty cells or possibly on the varroa tray if you replace it and the mesh is large enough for them to fall through.

Re-queening is the answer.

 

[Midland Beek]

Those are useful pics for new beekeepers to see. Experienced beeks will be familiar with the look of brood that just kind of says 'all is not well' in a chalk brood kind of way, if you see what I am saying.

 

[RoofTops]

Sherlock Holmes

It's been worrying me all night but at last I've found the reference:

"It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly, one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."*

Which of course we never do on this Forum!

* From: A Scandal in Bohemia."

 

[Lois]

Whilst putting in the new girls today, Dishmop and I inspected my first hive, all looks fine in there now, there was only 1 chalk brood thrown out and the eggs, larvae and cells look lovely, they have made up lots of numbers, Dishy spotted the queen busy about the place, there was little sign of chalk brood cells (all nice and plump and none sunken), so I will just let them be for a while more, the farmer has cut down some big trees in front of my hives so they should get a lot more sun and warmth, that might have been why they were a little bit sicky.
I am reluctant to do too much and spend my hard earned cash if I really don't need to.

Watch this space.