When you requeen to control chalk brood are you seeking a bee that is resistant to the fungus or a hygienic bee that cleans out the infected larva to reduce the spread?
Regards Peter
Requeening to control chalk brood
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Re: Requeening to control chalk brood
Chalk brood is everywhere. Chalk brood susceptibility is genetic and changing to a resistant queen will clear it up.
Allen Dick, RR#1 Swalwell, Alberta, Canada T0M 1Y0
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- Countryboy
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Re: Requeening to control chalk brood
So what traits do you lose when you select for resistance to chalkbrood?
I have a pretty simple selection process for breeding queens. Right now I have about 75 hives. In the early spring, I will pick out 3 or 4 of the strongest hives, that are not miserable mean.
I've been doing this for 5 or 6 years now. For the most part, the only new genetics I bring in are from swarms, or from open mating with primarily feral hives. I have bought a handful of commercial queens, but won't graft from them until at least the following spring if they are a super strong hive. (It is uncommon that I find a commercial queen that is stronger in early spring than my locally adapted bees.)
About 5% of the queens I raise will be miserable mean, and 5%-10% will accumulate a pile of chalkbrood at the hive entrance. If it's really bad, I do end up requeening wiht another queen I raised. Usually I just live with it. Some hives seem to clear up chalk on their own.
I figure there are a lot more important things than worrying about a few chalkbrood mummies.
I have a pretty simple selection process for breeding queens. Right now I have about 75 hives. In the early spring, I will pick out 3 or 4 of the strongest hives, that are not miserable mean.
I've been doing this for 5 or 6 years now. For the most part, the only new genetics I bring in are from swarms, or from open mating with primarily feral hives. I have bought a handful of commercial queens, but won't graft from them until at least the following spring if they are a super strong hive. (It is uncommon that I find a commercial queen that is stronger in early spring than my locally adapted bees.)
About 5% of the queens I raise will be miserable mean, and 5%-10% will accumulate a pile of chalkbrood at the hive entrance. If it's really bad, I do end up requeening wiht another queen I raised. Usually I just live with it. Some hives seem to clear up chalk on their own.
I figure there are a lot more important things than worrying about a few chalkbrood mummies.
B. Farmer Honey
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Re: Requeening to control chalk brood
I have to assume then that you have never seen hives with 30% chalk?
I also assume that good chalk control indicates hygienic characteristics.
I also assume that good chalk control indicates hygienic characteristics.
Allen Dick, RR#1 Swalwell, Alberta, Canada T0M 1Y0
51° 33'39.64"N 113°18'52.45"W
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/Allen%27s%20Beehives.kmz
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51° 33'39.64"N 113°18'52.45"W
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Re: Requeening to control chalk brood
I started 5 years ago with 2 Russian carnys and have introduced a couple of carny's from California. Plus a few queen cells from a local Ontario side liner. The local commercial/side liner has mostly Quebec Carny bees. He would provide most of the drones. I don't know how much of the original hygienic traits of the Russian's remains but they do ok controlling mites. I treat with formic in September and oxalic in November. I wintered 10 hives and 2 nucs last year.
I was hoping hygienic for mites would also carry over for chalk brood. I select from my most successful dark (Carny's). I assume/hope what ever triggers mite damaged larva removal would also work for chalk. Usually I have 2 hives that get infected. same each year. I suspect they have a load of spores and when temps are right for the fungus it gets started. A minor case reduces growth so I don't have to do swarm control, except this year one recovered enough and swarmed because I didn't watch it closely. It seems 10 hives is my limit for managing things given my time commitment and knowledge.
Regards Peter
I was hoping hygienic for mites would also carry over for chalk brood. I select from my most successful dark (Carny's). I assume/hope what ever triggers mite damaged larva removal would also work for chalk. Usually I have 2 hives that get infected. same each year. I suspect they have a load of spores and when temps are right for the fungus it gets started. A minor case reduces growth so I don't have to do swarm control, except this year one recovered enough and swarmed because I didn't watch it closely. It seems 10 hives is my limit for managing things given my time commitment and knowledge.
Regards Peter
- Countryboy
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Re: Requeening to control chalk brood
No, I've never had to deal with chalk that bad. I've seen pictures of Australian bees that had extreme cases of chalk once the hives were here in the US.I have to assume then that you have never seen hives with 30% chalk?
If I see 15-20 chalk mummies on a landing board, I consider that to be a bad case of chalk.
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Re: Requeening to control chalk brood
If you think about it, it seems to me that any hive that does not identify and remove dead larve before they become mummies is not hygienic.
Allen Dick, RR#1 Swalwell, Alberta, Canada T0M 1Y0
51° 33'39.64"N 113°18'52.45"W
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/Allen%27s%20Beehives.kmz
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51° 33'39.64"N 113°18'52.45"W
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Re: Requeening to control chalk brood
What I will probably do with those two hives is shake them through an excluder into other smaller hives and eliminate the queen and the drones
Allen Dick, RR#1 Swalwell, Alberta, Canada T0M 1Y0
51° 33'39.64"N 113°18'52.45"W
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/Allen%27s%20Beehives.kmz
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51° 33'39.64"N 113°18'52.45"W
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