Download Enemies of the Hive - Wake County Beekeepers

Enemies of the Hive
• First Lessons in Beekeeping
by Keith S. Delaplane
• Chapter 8
Honey Bee Disorders,
Parasites, Predators
and Nest Invaders
Honey Bee Disorders
Diseases
Parasites
Nest Invaders
Predators
Pesticides
Incompetent Beekeeper
Integrated Pest Management
• The use of a variety of pest treatments
such as genetic host resistance, cultural
practices, beneficial organisms, and a
minimum of toxic chemicals. As long as
pest levels stay below the treatment
or economic threshold, it is not
necessary to use toxic pesticides.
Treatment Threshold
• For a given pest or crop system,
the treatment threshold is the
specific number, - a pest
number, density or level of
damage – that is acceptable
p 106
Diseases of Brood
American Foulbrood
European Foulbrood
Chalkbrood
Sacbrood
Adult Diseases
Nosema apis
Nosema ceranae
Viruses
Parasitic Mites
Varroa
Tracheal
Acarapis woodi
destructor
Scavengers
• Wax Moth
• Small Hive Beetle
• (Know how to distinguish between larva)
Predators
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Bears
Skunks
Ants
Hornets
Birds
Mice
American Foulbrood
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Spore forming Bacterium Paenibacillus
Highly infectious
Highly destructive
AFB spores almost indestructible
No economic threshold
Zero tolerance
American Foulbrood
Treatment
• Burning the hive and bees is most
common remedy
• NC has fumigation chamber
• See your area bee inspector
• Treatment – Terramycin
• Only suppresses growth of spores,
• no cure - There is no cure
American Foulbrood
Best way to distinguish AFB from EFB - ropy dead larva
American Foulbrood
Irregular brood pattern
European Foulbrood
• Bacterium Melissococcus plutonius
• Symptoms similar to AFB
• Less virulent
Chalkbrood
• Pathogenic fungus Asocophaera apis
• Dead white, chalky “Mummies”
• No treatment except IPM
• Keep hive dry and
well ventilated
• Prevented through
good management
• Hygenic Queens
Sacbrood
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Relatively minor and rare disease
Caused by virus
No remedial medication
Dead larvae are flaccid, watery
Look like a Chinese
slipper
Adult Diseases
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Nosema apis – most serious
Single celled protozoan Nosema apis
Rarely kills but triggers morbities
Reduced lifespan
Reduce productivity
Increased queen supercedure
Low population
Sluggish Spring buildup
Nosema apis
• Treatment - antibotic Fumagilin B
• Nosema ceranae
• More of a recent problem in Europe
Viruses
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Kasmir bee virus
Deformed wing virus
Symptoms - bees lose body hair,
Movement is disorganized
Trembling
No known treatment
Cull damaged brood comb
Requeen
Control varroa will reduce potential
infection
Parasitic Mites
• Varroa destructor
Tracheal
Acarapis woodi
Varroa Mites
• Most damaging pest of US honey bee
• Introduced in US in 1987
– First found in NC in 1990
• Visible to human eye
• Cycle begins with female mite in open
brood cell, preferably drone
• She lays eggs – one male, several
daughters
• They mate, emerge
Varroa Mites
Effected bees suffer physical injury
Reduced blood volume
Reduced longevity
Reduced productivity
Typical infection occurs in late season
(Fall)
Hive weakened by varroa succumbs to
other pests
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Detection of Varroa Mites
• Sticky Sheet
• Powdered Sugar Shake
Treatment of Varroa Mite
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Apistan (fluvinate) –
Check Mite (coumoflous)
Api-life var (thymol)
Formic Acid
Integrated Pest Management
Screened bottom boards
Hygenic Queen
Tracheal Mite
Acarapis woodi
• Long history of troubling the honey bee
• Has been around for more than a
century
• First detected in NC in 1980
• Honey bee Act of 1922, a response
closed importation for 83 years
Characteristics of Tracheal Mite
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Lives and reproduces in breathing tube
Young bees are preferred
Microscopic
Infestation occurs in late winter
Or early spring
25% infestation is very damaging
Symptoms of Tracheal Mites
• Bees will crawl in grass near hive
entrance
• Cannot form an effective winter cluster
• Most common symptom is an empty hive
• K-wing syndrome
Treatment of Tracheal Mite
• Menthol crystals
• Mite – Away II, an absorbent pad with
formic acid • Extender patty - vegetable oil and
powders sugar – disrupts mite and is
harmless to environment, or bee keeper
Nest Scavengers
Wax Moth
Small Hive Beetle
Wax Moth
Galleria mellonella
• An old foe
• And strangely, a friend, too
• Cleans out abandoned nests, spores
rendering them clean for future use
• Problem occurs when wax
moths take over weak hive
and destroy it
Damage by Wax Moth
Wax Moth
• Female enters hive,
usually at night
• Lays eggs
• Larvae emerge, eat protein litter
• Seeks a protected spot
• Chews cavity in wood
• Spins silken cocoon and pupates
Characteristics of Wax Moth
• Moth activity in living colonies
• Moth activity in stored equipment
• Moths are secondary problem, not a
primary problem
• Moth Problem usually traced to
queenless colony or varroa mites
Treatment for Moths
• Paradichlorobenzene in stored equip.
• Stack stored hives cross ways to allow
light and ventilation (see p 128)
• Requeen
• Control Varroa mites
• Use 9 frames in supers rather than 10
Wax Moth Larva
Compared with SHB Larva
Wax Moth
Larva
SHB Larva
Small Hive Beetle
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Most recent pest
Scavenger
Not a major threat to strong colony
Can quickly wipe out a weak colony
Has become a major problem in SE US
First found in NC in 1998
Small Hive Beetle
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Adult female lays
eggs in cavity
Larvae emerge to eat
honey, brood, protein litter and grow
• Larval is most damaging stage
• Frames become slimy
• Larvae exits hive to pupate in soil
Small Hive Beetle
• Treatment threshold is 300 beetles
according to Delaplane
• Personally,
I think it is
much less!
Treatment of Small Hive Beetle
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Integrated Pest Management
Hygenic Bees
SHB traps
Hive tool smash
Predators
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Bear
Skunk
Ants
Hornets
Birds
Pesticides
Mice
Non-infectious Disorders
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Queenlessness
Robbing
Agricultural Pesticides
Incompetent Beekeeper
Good, Disease Free Brood Pattern
Thought of an old beekeeper
“We are all born
ignorant, but one must
work hard to remain
stupid.”
Benjamin Franklin