First Challenge

I'm one of those beekeepers who likes to go outside and 'hangout' with his hive. I usually go out with a cup of coffee and maybe my laptop and sit in my beach chair close to the hive entry. I find this quite relaxing, sort of like watching fish in a fish tank.

I was hanging out with the girls a couple of days ago when I noticed a dead bee and what seemed to be bee body parts on the landing board. I didn't think much of this as I've learned a bit about the life cycle of bees and knew that some of our bees were at the end of their lives. As bees are tidy creatures, the dead and the dying are carried out of the hive by workers and are disposed of.

The bone yard.

Note the chalky white and gray/black pieces on the landing board. I noticed more of these the next day and decided to search the internet for more information. It seems our hive is infected with something called Chalkbrood. Chalkbrood is caused by the fungus Ascosphaera Apis. This fungus is thought to be introduced to the hive either by pollen carrying the spores or by robber bees. It attacks the developing larvae within the first three days of their development and usually kills them after two days, turning them into white or gray/black chalky mummies. Hives are most susceptible to chalk brood in the Spring when they are building their population up to full strength. It may also be linked to excess moisture in the hive. There is no cure for this and most hives recover on their own. Proper hive ventilation is key. Hives that do not recover on their own often recover after replacing the queen with a more hygienic one. Naturally, this condition can weaken a hive and affect it's honey production. We are in a 'wait and see' mode, as we have just noticed this condition.