This link will take you to an audio interview of Minnesota commercial beekeeper Jeff Anderson, the first of a series we hope. Jeff gives some insight into the day to day challenges being faced by commercial beekeepers all across the U.S.
Look at the series of six still photos and pay particular attention to the shot of the two brood combs side by side. The one on the left is what beekeepers refer to as “shotgun brood,” and we are seeing a lot of it here in Colorado and you may be seeing it in your own bees. We suspect that it is related to chemical exposure, and the leading suspect is systemic pesticides, but there may be other causes. Shotgun brood can also be a sign of other brood diseases like American and European Foulbrood, but in the cases being seen there is no evidence of foulbrood.
