This is the next frame to it, outward towards the side of the box. All the larvae had hatched from this one, except a few. The unhatched larvae had perforated caps, a hole in the capping and the caps were sunken in. I did a "rope" test and you can see the brown decayed larvae strining out. That is called being ropey. Bad sign. Tale tale symptom of AFB.

This is the treatment for it. Two more hives, and I went ahead and burned 2 hives that I had stored, where the bees died out this winter. The comb in one of the dead outs had perforated caps on some old brood. Ants probably did it, but with Beltsville lab being closed, it wasn't worth the risk.

I figure I'm out between $2500-$3000 in potential income from those hives. I said a prayer, right there at the fire that this was done and over. When I got back in the truck to come up to the house after covering up the ashes when the fire died down Friday night, "It is Finished" was playing on the CD player in my truck. I know that my prayer and AFB wasn't what the song was written about, but I'm hoping that's the answer to my prayer.

Oh man, I hope your prayer is answered! That was rough!!!

That is amazing you caught that. I don't think I would have a chance of finding that. How does it progress? I lost two hives last year and I've wondered what happened to them.

It just gets worse, and worse. There won't be any solid frames of capped brood within a few weeks after finding it. The first hive I found it in, looked just like the pictures I posted. 10 days later, anybody could have found it, or at least noticed a problem.

Spotty brood frames can be caused by other things, but they should always be cause for alarm. Something isn't right.

Dang it brother. Sorry you have to deal with AFB but hopefully you caught it in time. I've stayed out of the brood boxes the last few weeks but I think I will take a look now.

And I thought losing a swarm from the same hive I was adding a super to was bad. I'm laughing at that now compared to your situation.

Thanks Wade.

I've lost a swarm for sure this year, first year in the past 2. I like the way the Frost bees build up but I don't like their swarm tendencies. I suspect I've lost or will lose at least one more.