7.2 Diseases
7.2 Diseases
We'll talk about these diseases:
- American foulbrood
- European foulbrood
- sacbrood
- chalkbrood
- nosema
Let's begin with American foulbrood.
American Foulbrood
American Foulbrood (AFB) is a devastating honey bee disease. Beekeepers should be able to recognize it in its early stages so that all efforts can be made to reduce the likelihood of transmitting the disease to another colony. American Foulbrood cannot be transmitted to humans and has no effect on honey for human consumption.
American Foulbrood cannot be transmitted to humans and has no effect on honey for human consumption.
American Foulbrood (Runtime 2:44)
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How It Spreads
This bacterial disease has two stages: the vegetative, or growth, stage and the spore stage. If identified in the vegetative stage, AFB can be contained. However, once it reaches the spore-forming stage, it is difficult to identify and highly contagious. A single larva that has been killed by AFB may release up to 100 million spores. As you can imagine, once spores are released the disease is nearly impossible to control.
Symptoms
As mentioned in the video, clues that should make a beekeeper suspicious include brood combs that have a scattered and irregular pattern of capped cells. Infected cells will be darkened, sunken, and have punctures made by workers who have identified a failed larva.
Irregular brood pattern and discolored larvae, symptoms of American Foulbrood
PennStateExtension+OLC-1006+2017+type@asset+block/S7afb-stages.jpg" alt="Four images compared side by side of pupae development in american foulbrood" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: 100%; line-height: 1.4em; height: auto;">
Pupae infected with American Foulbrood, which flatten or melt and gradually turn black as they are overcome by the disease.
Diagnosis
The cappings of cells infected with American Foulbrood are dark, sunken, and punctured:
AFB-infected larvae will "rope out" an inch or more after being stirred with a small stick:
The pupal tongue will stick to the top of an AFB-infected cell:
Treatment
There is only one universally recognized option guaranteed to effectively end this disease: burning all the equipment, hives, and bees. It can be painful and depressing to make this discovery, but sadly there is no other way to ensure that the disease is contained. If the infected hive is left to die slowly, it will be robbed by more powerful colonies that will pick up the spores from the infected honey and transfer the disease back to their own hive. Because of the durability of AFB spores, the equipment from an infected hive can never be used again safely unless it is autoclaved or treated with gamma radiation.
Recommended Procedure for Destroying an Entire Colony and Hive
- In the evening, after foraging activity has ceased and most or all of the bees are back in the hive, kill them by drenching the colony with soapy water. Soap kills bees and other insects by suffocating them.
- The next day, completely burn all hive parts, combs, and dead bees, and bury the ashes.
Antibiotics
In some states, this disease can be treated with specific antibiotics. However, beware: Antibiotics fed to honey bee colonies only keep the spores from germinating in the guts of larval bees. They do not kill the spores.
State Laws Concerning Treatment
Check with your State Department of Agriculture to determine if your bees need to be registered and to know what the laws are concerning treatment of American Foulbrood.
Also, most states have an apiary inspection service that operates out of the State Department of Agriculture. Apiary inspectors inspect colonies to limit the spread of this deadly and highly contagious disease. Check with your State Department of Agriculture to determine if your bees need to be registered and to know what the laws are concerning treatment of American Foulbrood.
Lesson List
- 7.2 Diseases Duration:
- Stress Diseases Duration:
- Nosema Duration:
- 7.3 Pests Duration:
- Small Hive Beetles Duration:
- Wax Moths Duration:
- Ants, Mice, & Small Mammals Duration:
- Bears Duration:
- 7.4 Colony Collapse Disorder Duration:
- CCD as a Syndrome Duration:
- 7.5 Integrated Pest Management Duration:
- Pyramid of IPM Tactics Duration:
- 7.6 Check Your Learning Duration:
Teachers Info
Bee doctor
- Website: http://www.example.com
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