Sac Brood

Sac Brood is a viral disease. Adult nurse bees clean infected brood cells and, in turn, contract the virus.

Symptoms/Identification

• Dead brood positioned upright in cells, their bodies a dark white, grey, or brownish-black color with the uppermost portion(head) darker than the rest of the body.

How it Spreads

• Infected equipment

• Moving infected combs to uninfected hives

• Drifting/Robbing

 

Treatment

• Requeening

• Feeding pollen and syrup

• Moving colonies to a sunny location

 

Prevention

To help prevent Sac Brood, always sterilize your equipment after working someone else's bees. Requeen every 1-2 years. Maintaining strong colonies and treating for pests namely, Varroa, will greatly reduce the stress on a colony and help it fight off disease.