Queens are superseded. Tracheal mites may be present. Varroa is present. Brood pattern is spotty. Symptoms resembling the foulbroods or sacbrood may be present.
Affected brood can be in any stage and anywhere on the comb.
No predominant bacterial type is found and no known bee pathogen has been isolated from samples so far. Persons submitting brood disease samples to the laboratory should send a piece of brood comb and 100 adults from each affected colony. Comb should be at least 2 inches square, wrapped in a paper bag, towel, or newspaper and mailed in a wooden or cardboard box. The use of plastic bags, aluminum foil, waxed paper, tin or glass should be avoided. The symptoms listed above, especially those associated with adult bees, except for the presence of either or both mites, ring familiar to many beekeepers.