A bad infestation of wax
larvae. The cells often have a raised lip and the pupae moth can completely ruin
inside continue developing to emerge in due course. your combs
Wax moth larvae
Wax moth larvae tunnel under the cappings, leaving a
silken web and a trail of small black droppings. Uncapped
cells are often seen in rows among the sealed brood. In
extreme cases, whole areas of cells can be covered with
webbing.
WHAT DO YOU DO? like with like. A weak one can be strengthened withsealed and emerging brood from a very strong one. Clear
If you discover anything abnormal, you need to take the comb of all adhering bees before transferring it and
action for the sake of your bees. don’t forget to fill up the gap in the strong colony or the
bees will fill it with wild comb. AFB is the only notifiable disease in the USA and if
confirmed, colonies are generally killed and burnt. The However, before transferring any combs, you must make
Department of Agriculture for each state can supply a sure all colonies involved are healthy. The beekeeper is
copy of its appropriate bee legislation. one of the major causes of spread of disease through
If you suspect one of the other problems, the remedy is in movement of combs, honey and equipment between
your hands. colonies. Don’t waste healthy brood by putting it into an
ailing colony.Failing queen or laying workers
For severe cases of sac brood and chalkbrood, consider
Depending on the time of year, a failing queen can be requeening your colony from one that does not show the
replaced or she can be removed and her colony united to symptoms.
a queenright one. If laying workers have only just started,
you can try to reverse the situation by introducing a comb WHAT USE IS MY COMB OF BROOD TO ME?
of young brood from another colony on which the bees As well as strengthening a weak colony, your frame can
can raise queen cells. If laying workers are well be used to boost a strong colony prior to an anticipated
established, shake them off their combs and remove the nectar flow near your apiary or migration to a particular
hive. They will generally be accepted by a neighboring crop. It is also an essential part of a nucleus, whether this
colony, provided this is strong, and will return to normal
in a queenright situation. is for raising and mating a new queen, housing an oldqueen or making colony increase.
Keep your colonies strong It is easy to take the brood for granted but this really is
A strong colony is the best protection against pests and the key to the colony’s status. We feel good when we see
diseases. The definition of ‘strong’ obviously varies during the queen but it is her brood which tells the real story.
the year. Record the number of frames of brood at each A set of four laminated Apiary Guides covering AFB, EFB,
regular inspection. This should increase or decrease as minor brood diseases, and small hive beetle/Tropilaelaps
the season progresses. If it does not increase in the sp. is available from www.bee-craft.com/shop ¢
spring, check what is wrong.
With more than one colony, you can see if they are all at
approximately the same stage, assuming you compare Join Bee Craft
in the Digital Age!icamerA
Claire Waring has kept Delivered directly to your computer, it offers active links to websites
bees since 1980. She is and e-mail addresses; a searchable archive; the opportunity to add
Editor of Bee Craft which notes and bookmarks and it will save storage space
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Bee Craft America January 2009 Page 13
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