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Blane White
MN Dept of Agriculture
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>>> <[log in to unmask]> 01/04/00 05:02PM >>> wrote:

My understanding was that the researches of Professor Heath indicated
that
there are no surfaces in a typical beehive free of chalkbrood spores.
 It is
unlikely therefore that hygienic behavior would prevent it.  What may
happen,
however, is that hygienic bees may detect and remove afflicted larvae
sooner.
This would waste marginally less brood food if this occurs before
feeding is
complete and free the cells for re-laying sooner.  It would have the
effect of
disguising the amount of brood lost as the beekeeper would be more
likely to
see unbroken slabs of brood than in an unhygienic hive even thouth
the brood
loss may be the same.

Hi Chris,

Dr Spivak's research as well as others has shown that hygienic bees
remove infected larvae and pupa before they are infectious i.e. before
the disease organism has matured to the point of being able to infect
other larvae.  If this is true the amount of disease spores in a
hygienic colony will decrease instead of increasing over time.  It
surly follows than that the number of larvae actually infected will
also decrease not increase.  The improved brood pattern is not just
the result of quick removal but higher survival rates of the larvae
which will of course lead to higher adult bee population and better
honey production.

blane
St Paul, MN USA