honey bee diseases

1. (Dept. of Bioresources)

2. TYPES OF DISEASES :
⚫Protozoan -Nosema, Amoebic
⚫ Bacterial- Americanand
Europian Foul brood
⚫Fungal -Chalk brood, Stone
brood
⚫Viral -Thai sac brood, Acute
and Chronic bee paralysis
⚫Diseases caused by Mites viz.
Acarosis (Tracheal mite) and
Varroasis (Varroa mite)
⚫Disorder- Colony Collapse
Disorders (CCD)

3. DISEASES DUE TO MITES

4. ACAROSIS (The Honey Bee Tracheal Mite)
⚫Also known as Acarine disease, Isle of
Wight ( because itwas observed in Isle of
Wight in 1904).
⚫CAUSAL AGENT- honey bee tracheal
mite, Acarapis woodi, a small parasitic
mite. It affects mostly the tracheaand
body fluid.
Natureof damage:-
⚫It infects worker, drone and queen honey
bees. mites liveand reproduce in trachea.
⚫Theypierce the tracheal tubewalls & feed
on the hemolymphof the bees.
⚫feeding on blood & depositing their faeces
in the passage.
STAGE OF INFECTION:- adult

5. PLACE OF INFECTION: Trachea and body f luid
MANAGEMENT:-
⚫Useof grease patties ( typically made from 1 partvegetable
shortenings mixed with 3-4 parts powdered sugar) placed
on top bars of the hive. Menthol allowed tovaporize from
crystal form or mixed into thegrease patties.
⚫Useof resistant hybrid bees known as Buckfast bee,
developed by Brother Adamat the Buckfast Abbey.
⚫Cotton soaked in Methyl salcilateand placed under the hive
in flat perforated lid.
⚫Destruction of affected colony.
⚫Smoke fumigationwith Chlorobenzilate
Timeof Treatment: Spring and earlysummer

6. VARROASIS (The Varroa Mite)
⚫CAUSAL AGENT: Asiaticvarroa
mite, Varroa destructor.
Symptoms:
⚫Varroa reproduce on honey bee
pupaeand feed on bee hemolymph.
⚫Varroa are also known tocarry and
vector bee viruses that are
particularlydamaging to the bees.
⚫Varroa infestations can cause
irreversibledamage to honey bees
that can lead to honey bee colony
losses.
STAGE OF INFECTION: Larval

7. PLACE OF INFECTION: Body and body fluid i.e.
haemolymph
MANAGEMENT:
⚫Apivar: Apivar is effectiveagainstvarroa mites, Apistan-
resistant varroa mites, and Checkmite+ resistant varroa
mites.
⚫Using 65% formicacid
⚫Mite Away Quick Strip (MAQS): MAQS is a 7-day, single
application mite control product registered for use against
varroaand tracheal mites.
Timeof control: Spring and early summer

8. PROTOZOAN DISEASES

9. NOSEMOSIS (Nosema Disease)
⚫ CAUSALAGENT: Nosema apis
and Nosema ceranae.
⚫ that infects the intestinal tractof
adult bees. It is a serious adult
disease.
SYMPTOMS:-
⚫ Bees become dysenteric with
distened abdomenwith faeces,
shining and swollenabdomen.
⚫ Affected worker bees have
disjointed wings & are found
crawling nearthe hiveentrance.
⚫ On dissection of the infested
bees, the mid intestine is seen
swollen & dull greyish-white in
colouras it is full of spores.
⚫ Many bees loose body hairs.
Hind gut is
inflamed
by protozoa

10. STAGE OF INFECTION: Adult
SITE OF INFECTION: Stomach
MANAGEMENT:-
⚫Feed theaffected colony with Entakon M @ 455mg/lt. Of
sugarsyrupat weekly interval.
⚫Sterilisation of brood boxes and frame hives with Glacial
aceticacid fumes (soaked in cotton or rag at 120ml/hive) or
40% formalin fumesonly after thequeen and the bees have
transferred to new foundation combs.
Timeof Treatment: Spring & Winter

11. AMOEBIC DISEASE:
CAUSAL AGENT: Malpighamoeba mellifeicae
SITE OF INFECTION: malpighian tubules.
SYMPTOMS:
⚫ The beesget infected by ingesting the cysts
which accumulate in the posteriorend of the
midgutor in the rectum.
⚫ The cysts get loose, swollen and enter the
glassy malpighian tubules entering intestine
and show faecal matterat that place.
⚫ Mostlydominant in April and May.
MANAGEMENT:
⚫ Onlyway tocontrol is by proper hygieneand
by the disinfection of equipments by 2%
carbolic acid. Transferring of bees to a
fumigated box.

12. BACTERIAL DISEASES

13. AMERICAN FOUL BROOD(AFB)
(Dreadly disease)
⚫CAUSAL AGENT- Paenibacillus
larvae larvae.
⚫ It is the most widespread and
destructive of the honey bee
brood diseases. It affEcts queen,
drone, and worker larvaealike.
PLACE OF INFECTION – Gut
SYMPTOMS-
turn dark brown and later
changes into sticky mass
producing foul smell (Infected
larvaedarken and die)
Dead Pupae
Irregularand sunken brood

14. STAGE INFECTED – larvae
MANAGEMENT – Hive tocompletely Useof antibiotics
such as oxytetracycline hydrochloride (terramycin)
and tylosin tartrate Dusting the combs with
sulphathiazole powder Dipping the hive partsin hot
paraffin wax or a 3%sodium hypochlorite
solution(bleach)
Burning of infested comb

15. EUROPEAN FOUL BROOD :
CAUSAL ORGANISM-Melissococcus
plutonius, Bacillus pluton
(bacterium)
PLACE OF INFECTION-Mid-gut
SYMPTOMS –
⚫The diseased larvae turns yellow
and then brown and the tracheal
system becomes visible.
⚫ Larvae dies in a coiled stage
causing foul smell. Cells are poorly
capped and mixed with normal
cells.

16. STAGE INFECTED-Larvae
MANAGEMENT-
⚫Use of oxytetracycline hydrochloride
⚫The ‘Shook Swarm techniqueof bee husbandry can
also be used toeffectivelycontrol thedisease

17. FUNGAL DISEASES

18. CHALK BROOD (Kalkbrut disease):
⚫CAUSAL
ORGANISM:Ascosphaera apis
⚫PLACE OF INFECTION:Gut
⚫SYMPTOMS :The fungus will
consume the rest of the larva’s
body, causing it toappearwhite
and ‘chalky’.
⚫STAGE INFECTED:larvae
⚫MANAGEMENT:Preventduring
wetspring .Transferof healthy
bees intoanother bee hive
.Increase theventilation through
the hive.

19. STONE BROOD (Steinbrut disease):
⚫ CAUSAL ORGANISM- Aspergillus
fumigates, A. flavus and A. niger
PLACE OF INFECTION-Alimentarycanal
SYMPTOMS –
⚫ Dead larvae turn black and becomedifficult
tocrush, hence the name stone brood
⚫ Fungus erupts from the integument of the
larva and forms a false skin and larvae are
covered with powdery fungal spores
STAGE INFECTED-Larvaeand adults
MANAGEMENT-Sterilizationof the hivewith
formaldehyde fumes

20. VIRAL DISEASES

21. THAI SAC BROOD.
⚫It isa serious brood diseaseof Apis
cerana indica caused byvirus
Morator aetatulus (Thai strain)
during spring season.
SYMPTOMS:
⚫Spotty brood appearance (pepper
box.)
⚫capping tends to bedarker,
concave & punctured frequently.
⚫Dead larvaedry up in brood cell
forming loose scale orsac like
⚫Brood die in pre pupal stage but in
unsealed stage
⚫Dead larvae lieon their back, tipof
head capsule turned upward.

22. MANAGEMENT:
⚫Destructionof frame
⚫Maintenanceof strong and vigorouscolony
⚫Sterilisation of beekeeping equipmentswith KMnO4
@ 50g/lit waterfollowed by hotwaterdipping.
⚫Fumigation of hive by formicacid (85%) @ 5ml/hive
⚫Caging queen for 21 days forcreating broodlessness
condition.

23. ACUTE BEE PARALYSIS:
⚫caused by acute bee paralysis virus
(ABPV) and affects only the adults
whichonlyshowsigns of trembling
,sprawled legsand wings .
⚫Occasionally ,theyalsoexhibit
partial hairlessnessand in some
casea black shinyappearance.
⚫ Thedeath rate may be high,but the
disease may be mild or transient at
times .Infected adults bees usally
show the first symptom of acute
paralysis in 2 to 4days and then die
within a day .

24. CHRONIC BEE PARALYSIS:
⚫ caused by the chronic bee paralysis
virus (CBPV) and the infected adult
may take manydays todie .
⚫ Adult bees infected
SYMPTOMS:
⚫ the adults have a bloated abdomen,
which is caused by the distension of
the honeysacwith liquid.
⚫ They do not fly, instead theycrawl on
the ground, exhibiting an abnormal
trembling motion of the wings and
bodies.
⚫ They become almost hairless,
appearing dark oralmost black and
shiny.
⚫ Uninfected bees nibbleat them and
preventtheirreturn to thecolony.

25. COLONY COLLAPSE DISORDER
(CCD)
⚫CAUSAL ORGANISM- stresses,
malnutrition, pathogens and
genetically modified (GM)crops
⚫PLACE OF INFECTION - colony
⚫SYMPTOM–worker bees from a
beehivecolony abruptlydisappear
⚫STAGE INFECTED – worker
bees
⚫MANAGEMENT – Exactcauses
are not known so following
natural beekeeping practices.

26. General Treatments :