There is some anecdotal evidence in Australia that banana fruit placed in hives is an effective control
for chalkbrood. Our research has failed to find any inhibitory action of banana extract when it is
incorporated into an in vitro culture system. Any beneficial effect that banana fruit placed within the
hive might have in controlling or reducing the severity of chalkbrood would most probably arise from
volatiles evolved by the fruit. It is not inconceivable that the fruit might evolve one or more volatile
compounds that are inhibitory to the spore germination or mycelial growth of the causal fungus
A. apis. Such fungistatic or fungitoxic/fungicidal volatiles might be the normal products of fruit
metabolism or the products of microbial degradation of the fruit as it senesces. The banana fruit
contains at least 200 individual volatile components (Palmer, 1971). Many more volatile compounds,
including fermentation products, could arise from microbial action (Sureh and Ethiraj, 1991).
Fermentation products (ethanol and acetaldehyde) have been shown to inhibit mould growth on
oranges (Yuen et al., 1995).

The control of chalkbrood disease with natural products
A report for the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation
by Dr Craig Davis and Wendy Ward
December 2003
RIRDC Publication No 03/107
RIRDC Project No DAQ-269A
https://rirdc.infoservices.com.au/downloads/03-107.pdf

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