This document summarizes diseases and enemies of honey bees and their management. It lists 9 diseases of honey bees including nosema, amoebic disease, and acarine disease. It also lists 9 brood diseases including European foulbrood, American foulbrood, and sacbrood. Additionally, it discusses 7 common enemies of honey bees such as the greater wax moth, lesser wax moth, and ants. For each disease or enemy, it provides details on symptoms and recommended management practices.

2. Credit Seminar-I
topic: diseases & enemies of honey bees andsilk worms andtheir
management
Speaker :Manish Kumar Yadav
:Ph.D. Entomology (3rd Sem.)
Reg. No. :D/Ento/107/2016-17
DEPARTMENT OF ENTOMOLOGY
Dr. RAJENDRAPRASAD CENTRALAGRICULTURAL
UNIVERSITY PUSA, SAMASTIPUR
BIHAR– 848125

3. LIST OF DISEASES OF HONEY BEEs
S.N. Name of Diseases Causal Agent Place/part of Infection Infected
Stage
1. Nosema Fungus (Nosema sp.) Stomach Adult bee
2. Amoebic Disease Amoeba (Malpighamoeba mellificae) Malpighian tubules Adult bee
3. Acarine Disease Mite (Acarapis woodi) Trachea & body fluid Adult bee
Brood Diseases
4. European foul brood Bacteria (Melissococcus plutonius) Comb cells Larvae
5. American foul brood Bacteria (Bacillus larvae) Comb cells Larvae
6. Sac brood Virus (Sacbrood virus) Comb cells Larvae
7. Stone brood Fungus (Aspergillus sp.) Comb cells Larvae
8. Chalk brood Fungus (Ascosphaera apis) Comb cells Larvae
9. Colony collapse disorder* or
varroosis disease
Varroa mite or Pesticidal effect Adult bee

4. LIST OF enemies OF HONEY BEEs
S.N. Name of Enemies Stage/Part/Place of Attack
1. Greater wax moth (Galleria mellonela) Wax
2. Lesser wax moth (Achroia grisella) Wax
3. Wax beetle (Platybolium alvearium) Wax
4. African small bee hive beetle (Aethina tumida) Wax
5. Hawk moth (Acherontia styx) Honey
6. Predatory wasps (various spp.) Adult bee
7. Birds Adult bee
8. Ants Various stages and parts

5. Nosema disease
• Nosema disease is caused by two
fungi namely Nosema apis and
Nosema ceranae (Higes et al., 2008)
• The pathogen penetrates mid gut
and grows by absorbing nutrients
from mid gut cells (Higes et al.,
2009) Pic: Infected bees

6. • Heavily infected worker bees can
contain an excess of 50 million
spores
• Nosema infections have specific
negative effects on honey bees
(Meana et al., 2013).
Pic: Nosema apis and N. ceranae
Image source: google image

7. Management
• Sterilization of brood boxes and frame with glacial acetic acid or
formalin (40%) should be done
• Keep the hive dry
• Try to avoid moving hives during winter
• Only one antibiotic, fumagillin (trade name Fumidil B) is reported
successful in controlling nosema disease. (Soroker et al., 2011)

8. Amoebic Disease
• This disease is caused by
Malpighamoeba mellificae The
disease is spread similarly to
Nosema
• Disease cause infection in
Malpighian tubules (Wilkins et al.,
2007)
• This amoeba reported to cause
dysentery in adult bees (Bailey et
al., 1983).
Pic: Microscopic images of Malpighamoeba mellificae

9. Disease management
•Disinfection of equipments by 2% carbolic acid
•Transfer of bees in fumigated box after infection
•Sterilization of brood boxes and frame with Glacial Acetic
acid should be done in the month of September (Thakur,
1991)
•Formalin (40%) is also used for this purpose.

10. Acarine Disease
• Caused by a parasitic
mite Acarapis woodi
• Acarine disease is a winter
problem
• The Acarine or tracheal mite is a
tiny microscopic creature
• Acarapis woodi spends its entire
life cycle within the breathing
tracts of the bee (Villa et al.,
2005)
• The mites prefer young bees to
infect. Pic 3.1 Acarapis woodi

11. Disease Diagnosis its cure
•Diagnosis done by examination of trachea of suspected bees
under the microscope
•Exposing the affected colonies with safrol oil, Nitrobenzene
and petrol (1:2:2) is helpful in control of Acarapis woodi
(Eischen et al., 1989)
•Menthol crystals are used as a fumigant
•Sulphur is used by some beekeepers against acarine mites

12. •Apiguard is used for the control of both acarine mites and
varroa mites. (Pettis et al., 2005)
Pic 4.1: Apiguard

13. European foulbrood
• EFB is a bacterial disease that affects honey bee larvae
• EFB is characterized by dead and dying larvae, appeared as
curled upwards (Forsgren et al., 2013)
• The EFB bacteria does not produce spores
• Often, when the nurse bee to larvae ratio becomes unstable,
the disease occurs (Roetschi et al., 2008)
• Spotty brood pattern is a common symptom of EFB.

14. Life cycle of European foulbrood
•Caused by bacteria, Melissococcus plutonius
•Larvae become infected by consuming infected brood
food.
•The bacterial populations multiply in the larval midgut
•The degree of larval mortality, is directly related to the
duration or amount of bacteria that was fed to the larva
(Bailey and Collins, 1982)
•The larvae pupate abnormally.

15. Pic: A classic symptom of European foulbrood is a curled
upwards, flaccid, and brown or yellowish dead larva in cell
Pic: Larvae infected with M plutonius can appear deflated with
their tracheal system more defined
Pic: Off-colored to dull white larvae from a hive infected with European foulbrood, larvae
start melting

16. American foulbrood
•Caused by Bacillus larvae
•AFB infections start when
nurse bee’s feeds developing
larvae by her infected
mouthparts (Genersch, 2010)
•24 hours old larva is the most
susceptible stage.
Pic: Appearance of sunken cells in the brood

17. symptoms
• Irregular and patchy brood pattern
• Brood may appear sunken
• Capping may also be perforated
by bees trying to remove the dead
brood
• Infected hive also have a
Sulphur's smell due to the
decomposing broods. (Palmer and
Oldroyd, 2003) Pic: Colony heavily infested with American foulbrood,
showing brood oozing and moisture on perforated
brood capping and dark black and red appearance.

18. Management of American and European foulbrood
•Replacement of diseased combs
•Always try to minimize the stress of food
•Supplementing the colony’s diet with sugar syrup and fresh
uncontaminated pollen when nutrition is poor
•Hives should be placed in a well-ventilated, dry areas
•Sterilization of tools or equipment is important
•Use of oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC).

19. Sacbrood
• Caused by a virus of Iflavirus
genus
• The virus mostly affects larvae
but can infect adult honey bees
also (Bailey, 1969)
• The virus multiplies within the
infected larvae
• The Sacbrood virus can remain
viable for long time in dead
larvae, honey or pollen.
Pic: Capping slightly removed on a Sacbrood virus infested
pupa.

20. Symptoms
• Uneven brood pattern,
discolored, sunken or perforated
cappings
• Infected larvae fail to pupate
• The larva dies with its head
characteristically raised toward
the top (banana shape)
• After death, infected larvae
change from a healthy pearly
white, to yellowish, then to a
brown colour. (Bailey and
Woods, 1997)
Pic: Sacbrood virus infected larva

21. management
•Honey bees are usually able to control Sacbrood virus in most
colonies through hygienic behavior and the ability to detect
and remove infected larvae
•Add worker bee population, or by providing sugar syrup or
pollen
• If Sacbrood virus is detected in more than 5 per cent of the
brood re-queening should be considered
• As a precautionary measure, brood combs should also be
replaced after every 3-4 years by beekeepers.

22. Stonebrood
•Stonebrood is a fungal disease, caused by Aspergillus flavus,
Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus niger
•It causes mummification of the brood of a honey bee colony
•The pathogen is common soil inhabitants and are also
pathogenic to plants, birds, and mammals (Steinhaus, 2013)
•It cause respiratory damage to adult bees.

23. Symptoms
• Dead larvae turn black and
become difficult to crush
• Fungus forms mycelium all
over the body of larvae
• The affected adult bees show
restlessness, feebleness and
paralysis, abdomen gets dilated
and then mummified
(Steinhaus, 2013)
• Younger bees die earlier.
Pic: Mycelium over the capping and hard broods

24. Management
• There is no chemical control
• Removal of mummies by bees results in natural control of the
diseases
• Collect and burn the mummified larvae
• Improve ventilation and reduce humidity
• Replace old, blackened brood combs
• If a colony lacks sufficient food stores, supplement with good
quality of food.

25. Chalkbrood
•Caused by spore-forming fungus, Ascosphaera apis
•Spores remain viable for years
•The disease is most prevalent in the spring
•It affect only broods
•Three - four days old larvae are more susceptible. (Tarpy et
al., 2016)

26. Symptoms
•Diseased larvae are stretched
out in their cells in an upright
position
•Larvae are often covered with
cottony filaments, hence the
name chalk brood (Rangel et al.,
2015)
•Diseased larvae can be mottled
with brown or black spots Pic: brown fungal growth on capped cell

27. • Chalk brood mummies once
dry, are loose in the cell, and
can be removed easily
• Often, a few of these
mummies are visible on the
ground at the entrance to the
hive.

28. management
• There are no registered chemicals available to control
Chalkbrood disease
• Healthy bee colonies are able to tolerate Chalkbrood disease
• Replace diseased comb with new combs
• Clean away mummified larvae
• Hives should be placed in a well-ventilated, dry area.

29. Colony collapse disorder
• A phenomenon that occurs when the majority of worker bees
in a colony disappear and leave behind a queen with plenty of
food
• Bee CCD affect worker bees, they simply don't come back
•Some scientists believe that it is caused by varroa mite
(Varroa destructor) and some believe that insecticides are
responsible for it
•The syndrome was renamed CCD in late 2006.

30. Signs and symptoms
• Presence of capped brood in
abandoned colonies
• Presence of food stores, both honey
and bee pollen
• Comb is not immediately robbed
• Presence of the queen bee
• Insufficient workforce to maintain
the brood that is present
• Workforce seems made up of young
adult bees only. Pic: Bee infested with Varroa destructor

31. Cause
• Due to infestation of varroa mite
(Steinhaus, 2013)
• Israeli Acute Paralysis virus and the
gut parasite nosema
• Pesticide poisoning in-hive or field
(Higes et al., 2011)
• Transportation to multiple locations
• Changes to the habitat where bees
forage. Pic: Varroa destructor

32. management
• Do not combine collapsing colonies with healthy ones
•Do not use same equipments for other colonies
• Use varroa control (fluvalinate) in honey bee colonies
•Keep colonies strong by practicing best management
practices.

33. Greater and lesser wax moth
• Galleria mellonela, the greater
wax moth or honeycomb moth, is a
moth of the family Pyralidae
• Achroia grisella family pyralidae
is smaller moth than the greater
wax moth and has a silver-grey to
dull-yellow, slender body
Galleria mellonela
Achroia grisella

34. • Larvae are creamy white, but turn
grey on reaching their fully grown
size
• After hatching, the small very
active larvae tunnel in comb
• Fully developed larvae spin silky
cocoons that may be found in a
mass of webbing in the comb
(Reddy, 2010)
• They feed on combs, pollen and
litter found on the hive floor
• LWM larvae are usually solitary,
whereas GWM larvae often
congregate in large numbers
(Caron, 1990).
Pic: larvae of Greater wax moth in honey bee comb
Pic: larvae of greater and lesser wax moth.

35. management
• Apiary hygiene and colony
management
• Equipment cleaning
• Light and ventilation.
Pic: Larvae of Achroia grisella

36. Wax beetle
• This Tenebrionid reported in hives
of the Indian honey bee at
Coimbatore and described as
Platybolium alveanum (Mahadevan,
1938)
• The larvae feed on the particles of
wax on the floor-board
• Larvae also feed on pollen
• Adults feed on the combs and bore
into the cells. (Prasad, 2009)
Platybolium alveanum

37. Small hive beetle
• The small hive beetle (Aethina
tumida) is a pest of bee hive
belonging to family Nitidulidae
• It cause damage to comb, stored
honey and pollen (Higo (1983)
• Both grub and adult cause
damage
• This pest of bee hive is not yet
reported in India.
Pic Aethina tumida

38. management
•Cultural and mechanical controls, changing infested hive etc
•Apiary hygiene and colony management
•Equipment cleaning
•Chemical control by Guard Star @3-5ml/ltr. water/hive
(Ellis, 2005)

39. Hawk moth
• Acherontia styx, the death's head
hawk moth is a pest of hive
• It is very fond of honey, and bee
keepers have reported finding dead
moths in their hives as a result of
bee stings
• They can mimic the scent of bees so
that they can enter a hive unharmed.
(Davis, 1978) Pic: Acherontia styx

40. Predatory wasps
• Several species of wasps predate on honeybees causing severe
damage to bee colonies and leads to loss of entire apiaries (Ghosh,
2012)
• The largest of the social wasps of
genus Vespa sp. are physically
capable of preying on honeybees
• V. tropica is a fast flier wasp and
mostly catches the forager bees
(Garg and Kashyap, 1998)
• Some species wait on the back of
the hive and capture bees. Pic: Wasp hunting on bee

41. management
• Apis mellifera and A. cerana indica bees kill wasps through
shimmering behavior (Sharma et al., 1980)
• Destruction of wasp nests near the apiary

42. Birds
• Various types of birds feeds on
honey & bees, major birds
associated with honeybees are
Merops sp., Dicrurus
macrocerus and Passer
domesticus (Cobb, 1979)
• They are broadly classified into
two categories: Bee eaters and
honey eaters.
Pic: Merops orientalis

43. Ants
• Ants are not usually serious pests in honeybee
colonies. Occasionally, however, certain
species may enter colonies to search for food
or establish nesting sites (Subhapradhan, 1961)
• Ants specially Eciton sp., Anomma sp.,
Dorylus sp. and fire ants kill honeybees.
(Dubois and Collart, 1950)
• Camponotus compressus (carpenter ant) is
occasionally a serious pest of bee colonies in
India. (Singh, 1962)
Pic: Camponotus compressus
Pic: fire ants

44. management
• Many times honey bees are capable of defending hives against ants
by fanning
• They use propolis to fill cracks and crevices otherwise closing
through artificial material (resin) is also advisable (Subhapradhan,
1961)
• Effective control of ants were recorded when legs of stands were
placed in water bowl or mercuric chloride (May, 1961)
• Natural repellants like Nepeta cataria, Chrysanthemum, Juglans
regia and dusting with turmeric powder is also used by many bee
keepers to keep ants away. (Abrol and Kakroo, 1998)

45. Diseases of Silkworms
SN NAME OF THE DISEASES CAUSAL ORGANISM
1. Pebrine Nosema bombycis
2. Flacherie Streptococcus spp.
3. Muscardine Beauveria bassiana, Spicaria prasina
and Aspergillus spp.
4. Grasserie NPV

46. LIST OF enemies OF silkworms
S.N. Name of Enemies Stages of Attack
1. Uzi fly (Exorista bombycis) Caterpillar & cocoons
2. Dermestid beetle (Dermestis ater) cocoons
3. Apanteles (Apanteles stantoni) caterpillar
4. Wasps, Red ants & other pests caterpillar

47. PEBRINE DISEASE
• Pebrine disease of the silkworm, caused
by Nosema bombycis
• Pepper like spots on larvae are major
symptoms (Sato et al., 1982)
• Skin becomes rubbery and dull in
appearance (Govindan et al., 1997)
• Highly infected larvae fail to pupate.
(Ghosh, 1949)
Pic: Pepper like spots on larvae

48. management
• Mother moth examination (Reddy, 2010)
• Use of disease free seed (eggs)
• Use of formalin 3% with 5 per cent bleaching powder to sterilize
rearing baskets (Kagawa, 1980)
• Use of bleaching powder 4-5 % is also effective (subbaiah et al. ,
1994)
• Allowing a non-rearing period between two rearings
• destruction of Pebrine infected larvae by burning. (Iwano and
Ishihara, 1981)

49. Flacherie
• Flacherie is a disease of silkworms,
caused by poor nutrition or eating
mulberry leaves contaminated with
Streptococcus sp., Staphylococcus
sp., Bacillus thuringiensis and
Serratia marcescence
(Balavenkatasubbaiah and
Sivaprasad, 1998)
• Infected larvae turns black and die
• Larvae emits foul smell
• Skin become flaccid. (Reddy, 2010) Pic: Infected Munga silkworms

50. management
• Feed with quality mulberry leaves
• Rear under recommended optimum temperature and humidity
• Disinfection of silkworm rearing house, appliances and surroundings should
be done
• Dust the bed disinfectant, Vijetha (or) Resham Keet Oushadh
after each moult of larvae
• Spray 1% of extract of Psoralea coryleifolia on mulberry leaves and feed to
worms once during third instars
• Procure silkworm eggs produced from healthy parent moths.
(Balavenkatasubbaiah and Sivaprasad, 1998)

51. Muscardine
• Muscadine is caused by Aspergillus sp.,
Beauveria bassiana and Spicaria
prasina
• Mycelium is common on young age
silkworms and the infected larvae will be
flaccid and die (Rubin et al., 2010)
• Dark green or rusty brown mycelial
clusters are seen on the body of dead
larvae (Reddy, 2010)
• Infected larvae turn into pink colour
• Body becomes hard, mummified larvae
found.

52. management
• Sun dry of the rearing appliances
• Disinfect the rearing room and utensils with 5 per cent bleaching
powder
• Avoid low temperature and high humidity in the rearing room
• Keep the rearing bed clean and dry
• Apply Dithane M45 (3 kg/100 dfls) / Vijetha supplement as
disinfectant on the larvae (TANU Agritech Portal)
• Disinfect rearing rooms and trays with 4 per cent pentachlorophenol
to control Aspergillosis.

53. Grasserie
• Causative agent is NPV (Reddy, 2010)
• Larvae produce milky white fluid
(Tragor, 2013)
• The skin of infected larvae becomes
shiny black, larvae fails to moult
• Colour of the body becomes dark
black
• The infected larvae move restlessly in
the rearing bed/ along with the rim of
the tray (Prasad, 2009)
• Infected larval body ruptures easily
and turbid white hemolymph oozes
out. (Burges, 2013)
Pic: infected larvae

54. management
• Disinfection of rearing house
• Conduct an optional disinfection with 0.3% lime solution (Vidya,
1960)
• Maintain hygiene
• Collect the diseased larvae and ensure its proper disposal (Reddy,
2010)
• Maintain optimum temperature and humidity in the rearing house
• Feed quality mulberry leaf and avoid overcrowding
• Apply recommended bed disinfectant as per schedule and quantity

55. Uzi fly
• The Uzi fly, Exorista bombycis is a
serious endo-larval parasitoid of the
silkworm (Reddy, 2010)
• Typical symptoms includes presence
of eggs or black scar on the silkworm
body and maggot emergence hole at
the tip of the cocoon
(Venkatachalapathy, 2006)
• If the Uzi fly infests at last instar, the
maggots come out after cocoon
formation by making a circular hole.
Pic: Exorista bombycis

56. management
• Exclusion Method
• Mechanical Control by Using
Uzi trap (Prasad, 2009)
• Biological Control by Nesolynx
thymus (Narayanaswamy, 2000
and Bhat, 2012)
Pic: Nesolynx thymus

57. Dermestid beetles
•Dermestid beetles, Dermestis ater
is known to attack on cocoons in
cocoon storage rooms (Prasad,
2009)
•The beetles migrate from cocoon
storage room to grainage and
attack on green cocoons and
moths (Voss et al., 2008)
•The adult beetle is about 7 to 9
millimeters long.
Pic: Dermestis ater

58. management
• Preventive measures:
•Mechanical control:
• Chemical control: Store cocoons in
Deltamethrin treated bag (Voss et al.,
2013)
• Dusting of bleaching powder all around
the inner wall of rearing room to prevent
the entry of grubs. (Siddaiah, 2016) Pic: Dermestis ater

59. Wasps, Red ants & other pests
• Wasp and many birds attack on early stage worms and consume
them as food (Prasad, 2009)
• The red ant is also a serious pest, it attack on 1st stage silkworms
• Wasps can be controlled by covering silkworm rearing by nylon nets
and destroying wasps hives (Prasad, 2009)
• Red ant can be controlled by burning down their nest well before the
rearing. (Reddy, 2010)

60. conclusion
1. Seriousness of problem….
2. Ability of self defense….
3. Prevention is always better….
4. chemicals....

61. Thank you