Do you recognise this problem on the brood? Explain what you see.
- European foulbrood, a bacterial brood disease.
- Chalkbrood, a fungal brood disease.
- Healthy colony with regular brood.
- American foulbrood, a bacterial brood disease.
- Deformed Wing Virus: DWV, a viral disease.
- Banded brood.
- Nosemosis affecting mainly adult bees.
Show answer
Correct answer: 6.
Banded brood associated with wax moth.
Why?
Banded brood, also called bald brood, is recognised by brood cells that are open, raised, or irregularly capped. The pupa may remain visible in the cell.
This picture is generally linked to galleries dug by wax moth larvae under the cells. These galleries disrupt normal capping and can cause the opening or doming of several neighbouring cells.
One can sometimes observe a small rim of wax around the opening, as well as the droppings of wax moth larvae in the form of small greyish or black rods.
What to understand
The wax moth is an opportunistic pest. It develops above all in weak colonies, in areas poorly occupied by the bees, or on combs stored under poor conditions.
Banded brood should not be confused with a foulbrood. It is not characterised first by a stringy larva, a typical odour, or adherent scales, but by a mechanical disturbance of the cells linked to the wax moth galleries.
The presence of banded brood should prompt a check of colony strength, the number of unoccupied combs, the condition of the old combs, and the storage conditions of the combs.
Key takeaways
The key sign is the abnormal opening of neighbouring cells, with visible pupae and sometimes a rim of wax.
The probable cause is the presence of wax moth galleries under the brood cells.
Prevention relies on strong colonies, few unoccupied combs, regular renewal of old combs, and storage of combs in a cool, ventilated, and controlled place.
Further reading
► Practical Guide: 2.6 Wax moth
► Practical Guide: 4.4.2 Comb storage