Chilled brood
Chilled brood is an uncontrollable disease of bee colonies, which arises from the strong and prolonged cooling of the brood.
Causes of the disease. A sharp drop in air temperature, poor warming of the nest, a weakening of the strength of families due to a significant loss of flying bees from poisoning and other causes.
Course of the disease. The disease lasts for a short time, it usually occurs in the spring after recurrent colds.
Symptoms of the disease. Frozen brood dies with solid patches on the honeycomb. Sections of honeycombs with the affected brood are usually detected on the side or bottom of the nest.
Printed and open brood is affected. The affected printed brood is not found for a long time, since the caps on the brood almost do not change. It is recognized only when the bees themselves begin to crack the lids and clean the cells. On the chest or abdomen of the pupae appears a dark green spot, which soon acquires a lead-greenish color, and then brown.
The pupae ‘eyes quickly darken, the pupae settle on the bottom of the cell and turn into dried dark brown mummies that easily lag behind the cell walls and are extracted with special effort by bees. The color of the open brood is first grayish, then dark brown or black. The larvae are enlarged in volume. Their consistence is watery, smearing, there is no smell or the smell of hydrogen sulphide is felt.
The diagnosis is based on external signs. When inspecting the brood pay attention to the general appearance, sex, age, color and consistency of the dead larvae, their position in the cells, as well as the state of the caps of the cells.
Prevention. In cold and unstable weather, bees are transferred to the compressed nests, provide enough feed, the hives are well insulated from the sides and from above.
Control measures. Remove from the nests of the honeycomb with the affected brood, cut the nests, the hives are well insulated. With a lack of feed, it is replenished.
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