This document discusses various insect and non-insect enemies of honey bees, including the wax moth, wasps, ants, parasitic mites like Varroa destructor, and diseases. It provides details on the nature of damage caused by each enemy, symptoms of infestation or disease, and recommended management practices like removing infested comb, maintaining strong bee colonies, and using approved treatments and chemicals.

1. DR.L.N.MOHAPATRA
ASSOCIATE DITRECTOR OF RESEARCH
REGIONAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER STATION
BHAWANIPATNA

2. BEE ENEMIES
INSECT ENEMIES:
 WAX MOTH : Greater wax moth Galleria mellonella
Smaller wax moth Achroia grisella
 WASP : Vespa magnifica ,
V.orientalis
V.cincta
 ANT (Camponotus sp.)
 HAWK MOTH
(Acherontia styx)
 DRAGON FLY

3. BEE ENEMIES
NON INSECT ENEMIES
 SPIDER
 PSEUDO SCORPION
Ellingsenius sp.
 MITE
ECTO PARASITE : Tropillaelaps clareae
: Varroa destructor
ENDO PARASITE : Acarapis woodi

4. BEE ENEMIES
 TOADS
 SQUIRREL
 LIZARDS
 RAT
 SNAKE
 BIRD: King crow, wood
peckers, Green bee eater
 BEAR
Merops sp.

5. WAX MOTH
 MAXIMUM ACTIVITY :rainy season
 ECONOMIC LOSS : 5% loss of colony
 PREFERENCE : Weaker colony and
old blackened comb

6. Smaller wax moth

7. Greater wax moth

8. NATURE OF DAMAGE OF WAX MOTH
 Emerging larvae feed on wax ,pollen , honey in the comb
 Heavy population of wax moth larvae increases the hive temperature
thereby affecting the brood rearing
 Desertion of hive if 1or 2 frame affected

9. Management of wax moth
 Remove the infested comb and destroy either by
burning or digging inside the soil
 Unite the weaker colonies
 Clean the bottom board at fortnight interval
 Adequate food supply to maintain a strong colony
(sugar feeding)
 Always maintain healthy comb
 While staking the super chamber place 1/3rd
Tablet
of Aluminium phosphide for every cubic ft or 2-4
table spoon of PDB between every other super in
a stack
 Spray of B- 401 a formulation of Bacillus
thuringiensis @ 1.5 ml / 10cm2

10. WASP
 Activity : May-June, August-September
 Serious in hilly area
 25% colonies lost every year
 Weaker colonies suffers maximum
 Active in front of the hive during
11AM to 2PM

11. Management of wasp
• Destroy the wasp nest
either mechanically or
by using fumigant like
Aluminium phosphide
or Calcium cyanide
• Maintain strong colony
• Use of wasp trap :
Ripened jack fruit with
2grams of Furadan
• Covering the colony
with coconut branches
• Mechanically collect
and destroy

12. ANT
Nature of damage: Take away the honey,
pollen, eggs of honey bee from weaker
colony
MANAGEMENT :
 Swab the stand with used mobil
 Legs of hive placed in cups of water
 Clean the bottom board at fortnight interval

13. ENDO PARASITIC MITE
Acarapis woodi :
 Cause acarine disease
 Both nymphs and adults feed the haemolymph
from the young worker bee by entering through the
spiracles
SYMPTOM
 Presence of crawler bee in front of hives
 For wing and hind wing get separated resembling K shaped
wing
 Yellow dropping due to dysentry
 Distended and shinning abdomen
MANAGEMENT
 Smoke fumigation with chlorobenzilate (FOLBEX) @ one strip /
hive

14. ECTO PARASITIC MITE
Tropilaelaps clareae
Rust red mite attacking both
brood and adults
Spread through rock bee
SYMPTOM
 Irregular brood pattern
 Dead malformed larvae/ pupae / adults
MANAGEMENT : Fumigation with 85% Formic acid @
5m/ hive/ daily for 21 days

15. ECTOPARASITIC MITE
Varroa destructor
Pin head size clinging
the bee at
intersegmental
membrane

16. Symptom:
• Presence of perforated brood
• Unsealed brood and dead pupae
• Dead adults with malformed wing
• Presence of large no. dead and live mite on
bottom board
• Susceptible to robbing
MANAGEMENT;
 Destruction of infested comb
 Destruction of unwanted drone brood
 Fumigation with formic acid (85%) @ 5ml/box for 21days
 Use of Apistan (Fluvalinate)@ 1strip/box
 Caging the queen for 21 days
 Dusting powder sugar/ flour @ 20grams/ 10 frame during
evening

17. THAI SAC BROOD VIRUS DISEASE
Infected larvae with head
protruded upwards
Dead larvae at the bottom of cell

18. Sac like dead larvae
Milky fluid in the infected
larvae

19. Healthy and diseased larvae Stages of scale formation

20. Dead larvae ejected out by worker
bees
Uncapped and empty cell
due to TSBV infection

21. MANAGEMENT :
 Destroy all affected frame by burning
 Maintain strong and vigorous colony
 Sterilization of all beekeeping equipments with Potassium
permanganate @ 50g/lt of water followed by hot water dipping
 Fumigation of hive with formic acid(85%) @ 5ml / hive for 21
days to control mite which acts as carrier
 Caging the queen for 21 days to create broodlessness
conditions
 Inspect brood comb at regular intervals for any disease
symptom
 Avoid overcrowding and exchanging of brood from one colony
to another
 Ensure complete check on robber bees which spread infection

22. DYSENTRY
SYMPTOM
Yellow dropping on bottom board with
smell during rainy season
 Presence of weak dying adults in front of
hive
MANGEMENT
feed the colony with Metron @ 5mg along
with honey / sugar solution daily for 3 days
/ hive