This document summarizes diseases that affect honeybees, including protozoan, bacterial, fungal, viral, and acarine diseases. It describes several key diseases such as Nosema disease caused by Nosema apis that infects the stomach of adult bees; American Foulbrood caused by Paenibacillus larvae that infects brood larvae and leads to a foul smelling, sticky brown mass; and acarine disease caused by the tracheal mite Acarapis woodi that enters the trachea of bees and weakens them. Management strategies for many of these diseases include providing clean water, sterilizing equipment, increasing hive strength, and fumigation.

1. DISEASES
OF
HONEYBEE
Presented By:
Deepanchi
BSc. (HONS) Ag. 111 YR
ENTO-321

2. INTRODUCTION
• Honeybees are attacked both at brood stage and adult
stage.
BROOD – Immature forms of honeybees.
egg, larvae, pupa

3. TYPES OF DISEASES
On the basis of the CAUSAL ORGANISM
PROTOZOAN DISEASE – caused by Protozoa
BACTERIAL DISEASE – caused by Bacteria
FUNGAL DISEASE – caused by Fungi
VIRAL DISEASE – caused byVirus
ACARINE DISEASE – caused by Parasite mite

4. PROTOZOAN DISEASE
1. NOSEMA DISEASE – Nosema apis
SEEN IN ADULTS
2. AMOEBIC DISEASE – Malpighamoeba mellifecae

5. NOSEMA
DISEASE
Causal Organism: Nosemaapis
Infection: attacks the lining of the stomach causing dysentery or
diarrhea in bees, making them inactive and unable to fly. They are
found crawling near the hive entrance. Body hairs are lost and bees
become shiny.
Spread: spores of pathogen are passed out with faeces of the
infected bees. This disease mainly occurs in winter.
Management: Provide fresh running water
Sterilization of brood chamber and frame hive with glacial acetic
acid or 40% formalin fumes in an empty hive.

7. IMPORTANT NOTE
• Sometimes, dysentery is not necessarily due to Nosema disease.
Honeybees do not come out in winter, so in that case, their alimentary
canal is filled with more excretory product, so here dysentery can be
seen in honeybees even though there is no Nosema disease.
• The important point to remember is that Nosema and dysentery are
separate conditions that you can't distinguish without laboratory
analysis.

8. AMOEBIC
DISEASE
Causal Organism: Malpighamoebamellifecae
Infection: infects the malpighian tubules (main unit of excretory
system). Infection is caused by ingesting cysts along with
contaminated food. Cysts germinate, and amoeba migrate to
Malpighian tubes and feed on cell contents. Produces dysentery.
Spread: Infection and transmission are the same as in nosema.
Transmission occurs through cysts, which are constructed by the
amoeba.
Management: Ensure proper hygienic conditions.
Disinfection of hives and equipment with acetic acid is also helpful.

9. BACTERIAL DISEASE
1. AFB(American Foul Brood Disease)– Paenibacillus larvae
SEEN IN BROODS
2. EFB(European Foul Brood Disease)– Melissococcuss plutonius

10. AMERICAN
FOUL BROOD
DISEASE
(AFB)
Causal Organism: Paenibacilluslarvae
Infection: infect larvae stage, sunken and perforated
capping of sealed brood. Larvae die after the
capping Chocolate brown black colour.
Later changes into sticky massproducing a foul smell.
Spread: Contaminated disease. Introduced into the hive in
the form of spores in honey & pass through faeces .
Treatment: Dusting the combs with sulphathiazole powder
with the help of a dusting pump.
PHYSICALMETHOD: “Search and Destroy”
Gram +ve, rod-shaped bacterium,
form spores that remain viable for 35 years.

11. EUROPEAN
FOUL BROOD
DISEASE
(EFB)
Causal Organism: Melissococcusplutonius
Infection: Infect larvae stage. Larvae (early stage) die
before the cells are capped, occupy unnatural conditions in
cell chocolate brown black colour.
A sour odour can be detected from the decayed larvae.
Treatment: depend upon the strengthof the infection.
The best method is to destroy the infected hive.
Low
• Stimulatehygenicbehaviorof bees
(no.of beesincrease)(Requeening).
High
• Chemotherapicmeasurelike
antibiotics.

12. FUNGAL DISEASE
1. CHALK BROOD DISEASE – Ascosphaeraapis.
2. STONE BROOD DISEASE – Aspergillusflavus.

13. CHALK
BROOD
DISEASE
Causal Organism: Ascosphaeraapis.
Converts larvae into chalk-white mass of mycelium. It’s mainly due
to dampness & poor ventilation.
Symptoms: At first, larvae completely fill the cells and are
rubber like . Later they shrink and become tough.
Management: Method of stimulating hygiene behaviour is
sufficient.
Currently, there is no known successful chemical control against it.

14. STONE
BROOD
DISEASE
Causal Organism: Aspergillusflavus
Infection: The infection takes place by germination of the spores
in the alimentary canal and the adults may also be attacked.
Symptoms: The fungus grows rapidly and forms a
characteristic whitish-yellowcolour like ring near the head of the
larvae. After death, larvae become hardened & quite difficult to
crush.
Management: Proper sanitation.
Sterilization of equipment with formaldehyde.

15. VIRAL DISEASE
1. SAC BROOD DISEASE – Moratoraetatulus
SEEN IN BROOD

16. SAC BOOD
DISEASE
Causal Organism: Moratoraetatulus
Symptoms: The anterior portion of the larvae changes
colour from yellow to brown.
On removing the larvae from the cell, a tough cuticle can be
observed and its contents are watery thus having the
appearance of a small watery sac.
Management: Increase the strength of the bee hive.
No known successful chemical controlagainst it
• Infect Apis mellifera
Sac Brood
• Infect Apis cerena indica
Thai Sac Brood

17. Causal Organism: Acarapiswoodi (Tracheal mite)
Infection: Enters through the trachea and feeds upon the
body fluid and ultimately bees become weak and unable to fly.
Management: Exposing the affected colony to a mixture of
safrole oil, nitrozene (Fumigation)
Note: Known as Isle of Wight Disease .
ACARINE
DISEASE
SEEN IN ADULTS

18. IF YOU HAVE ANY DOUBTS,
FEEL FREE TO ASK QUESTIONS.

19. Thank you all for your patience!