At 13:12 14/01/97 -0500, David Eyre wrote: >There seems to be a variety of views regarding chalkbrood. "it's a spore, >it's caused by dampness, it's caused by chilled brood" neither of the >above is caused by the Queen! I know the accepted procedure is to requeen. >My point, if we have a good strong laying queen, why bother to change her, >when it's not her fault. > I tend to question some of our accepted methods, some just don't make >sense to me and this is one of them! > Any one want to comment? > > >********************************************************* >The Bee Works, 9 Progress Drive Unit 2, Orillia, >Ontario, Canada. L3V 6H1 >David Eyre, Owner. Phone/Fax 705 326 7171 >Agents for E.H.Thorne & B.J.Sherriff UK >http://www.muskoka.net/~beeworks >********************************************************* > David, I think it is probably exposure to all three factors together with an inherited susceptibility for the disease to develop in the larvae given exposure to these conditions. Around 1920 my father, then 14, was exposed to dampness, cold and presumably certain "spores". He developed rheumatic fever and suffered with a damaged heart for the rest of his life. I have been told that susceptibility to r.fever in humans is inherited. Fortunately for him and me, there has been no policy for the culling of humans in UK for quite a few years, at least not for contracting rheumatic fever, and as my childhood was a lot more comfortable than his, my susceptibilty has never been put to the test. However, although some Q.bees may deserve more respect than some people, I still think we should apply eugenic principles to beekeeping and try to breed an improved race!! But I suppose that means we have to agree on what is "improvement"! Regards, Glyn Davies, Ashburton, Devon UK