Wax Moths are nasty little creatures. They are really good at destroying unprotected equipment. It is not normal to see Wax moths in healthy hives. This is an indicator that your hive is weak. Strong, healthy hives will manage wax moths and beetles just fine. Many new beekeepers think that their hive was killed by these pests when they go to check their hive, finding no bees and the boxes full of these pests. Wax moths and beetles are only a product of a bigger problem. They

Workers are simply underdeveloped queens. They have the ability to lay eggs, but they can only lay unfertilized eggs - which turn into drones. If a hive is without a queen for more than 3 weeks some workers will begin laying eggs. It is usually pretty easy to identify. Workers do not have the ability to control how many eggs they can lay. Their will be multiple eggs and on the cells walls. (They are usually not long enough to reach the very bottom of the cell) You will find

The most serious disease a hive can have Spore forming The vegetative stage infects larvae It grows for about ten days and then turns into a spore 2.5 billion spores can exist in one (AFB) scale It takes only about 10 spores fed to a one day old larvae for it to become infected Symptoms/Identification Irregular brood pattern (shotgun appearance) Many cells are left open among capped brood Perforated, sunken, sometimes greasy looking wet capped cells Foul odor Dis

European Foul brood is far easier to cure than American foulbrood; that said EFB is also more prevalent in hives as compared to American foulbrood. Non-spore forming!!! Easier to cure Infests worker, drone, and queen larvae Prevalent in the spring Causes Weak colonies Stressed colonies due to poor foraging Being trucked for pollination Symptoms Larvae are discolored and die in twisted coiled positions Dead brood is mostly uncapped Discolored concave cappings Sour odor may b

Sac Brood is a viral disease. Adult nurse bees clean infected brood cells and, in turn, contract the virus. Symptoms/Identification Dead brood positioned upright in cells, their bodies a dark white, grey, or brownish-black color with the uppermost portion(head) darker than the rest of the body. How it Spreads Infected equipment Moving infected combs to uninfected hives Drifting/Robbing Treatment Requeening Feeding pollen and syrup Moving colonies to a sunny location Preventio

Symptoms/Identification White, Gray, and Black mummies in brood cells, at the entrances, and on bottom boards Often found after cool, damp weather How it Spreads Infected equipment Infected pollen Moving infected combs to uninfected hives Drifting/Robbing Treatment Feeding Sugar Syrup and Pollen Requeening Increasing ventilation (screened bottom boards) Moving colonies to sunny dry locations Replacing old and diseased comb Prevention To help prevent Chalk brood, always steril

Nosema is a fungus that affects adult bees. With the correct treatment colonies will respond favorably. Nosema is most prevalent in colonies that are stressed, shipped in a package or confined. Symptoms/Identification The symptoms of Nosema are rather subtle. Crawling disoriented bees K-wing adults Defensive bees Bees abandoning the brood to cluster elsewhere Colonies not consuming supplemental feed Midgut is swollen and creamy white in color Heave consentration of Bee feces

The Small Hive Beetle is an invasive pest that harms honeybee hives and damages the honeycomb, stored honey and pollen. The bees may abandon the hive if the infestation becomes heavy. The small hive beetle (SHB) causes damage to hives that are stressed or weakened by other factors. In a healthy hive, the worker bees will protect the hive from SHB. Once the worker bees are outnumbered by the beetles, the hive can be destroyed quickly. Damage: When bee populations are sufficie

Varroa/Parasitic Mite Syndrome Varroa is one of the biggest problems in today’s beekeeping industry; proper understanding of them and the ability to identify the symptoms can help us effectively fight them. Symptoms/Identification Spotty Brood (can also be from a poor queen) Deformed wings Frequent spotting of mites on top of bees and in brood How it Spreads Robbing Foraging Drifting Diagnose Powder Sugar Roll Alcohol Wash Kills brood in all stages of development Treatment Ap