Course Teacher: K.

Devarassou Institute: PAJANCOA&RI,Karaikal Pondicherry university

Theory
BEE DISEASES- Bacteria, Virus, Fungi and Protozoan
Lecture No. 5

DISEASES OF HONEY BEES:

Honey bees are being infested with various pathogenic organism and make the bees
less active or kill leading to absconding, swarming and complete loss of colony. The bee
diseases are the major constraints in commercial bee keeping and cause huge loss. The
below following are the common honey bee diseases;
SI. No. VIRAL BACTERIAL PROTOZOAN FUNGAL
DISEASE DISEASE DISEASE DISEASE
1. Thai sac brood virus American foul brood disease- Nosema disease- Chalk brood disease-
disease Paenibacillus larvae Nosema apis Ascophera apis
2. Apis iridescent virus European foul brood disease- Amoebic disease- Stone brood disease-
disease Melissococcus plutonius Malpighamoeba mellificae Aspergillus flavus
3. Kashmir bee virus
disease
4. Sac brood virus
disease
5. Chronic paralysis
virus disease

I. Viral diseases:
1.Thai sac brood virus disease(TSBV):
It infect only Apis cerana indica
Symptoms
 Brood die in prepupal stage
 Dead larvae straighten and lie on their back
 Dead prepupae turn into sac like structure
2.Apis iridescent virus disease (AIV):
It infects Apis cerana indica specifically. Noticed in India in Kashmir and HP in 1975.
Symptoms
 Infected bees form clusters – clustering disease
 Virus particles seen brightly coloured in tissues

Course: AEN 302. Management of beneficial insects (1+1). 2020 batch- Agriculture
Course Teacher: K. Devarassou Institute: PAJANCOA&RI,Karaikal Pondicherry university

 Worker stops foraging

 Queen stops egg laying
 Nurse bees do not attend the brood
 Death of colony follows.
3. Kashmir bee virus disease (KBV):
It is very specific to Apis cerana indica honey bees. Symptoms first noticed in Kashmir in
1977. The other strains of KVB was noticed on Apis mellifera in Australia.
Symptoms
 All stages die in colony
 Spread through contact
4. Sac brood virus disease (SBV):
It infects only Apis mellifera bees. Belongs to Picorna like virus group. Symptoms are
similar to TSBV. It was first recorded in India on Apis mellifera in 1999 in HP.
Symptoms
 Larva becomes sac like
 Fluid filled in between new integument and unshed skin
 Virus multiplies in hypopharyngeal glands of the adult bees
5. Chronic paralysis virus disease (CPV):
It infects Apis mellifera bees. This disease affects only adult bees.
Symptoms
 Abnormal trembling motion of the wings and body
 Appear shiny and greasy because of the lack of hair
 Hairless black syndrome
 Harassed by guard bees at the entrance to the hive
Management of Viral diseases of Honey bees:
 Avoid buying colonies from virus disease affected apiaries
 Proper quarantine and sanitation
 Selecting unaffected colonies and multiplying progenies

Course: AEN 302. Management of beneficial insects (1+1). 2020 batch- Agriculture
Course Teacher: K. Devarassou Institute: PAJANCOA&RI,Karaikal Pondicherry university

II. Bacterial Disease:

1. American foul brood disease- Paenibacillus larvae
It was first reported in Apis cerana indica in India in 1961 and not been reported on Apis
mellifera in India. However, it is serious bee disease on Apis mellifera in temperate and sub-
tropics particularly in USA.
Symptoms
 Brood turns chocolate brown.
 Sunken cell caps.
 Pupal tongue syndrome (Pupae tongue extended during pupal stage).
 Pepper box symptom.
 Ropiness.
 Black scale adhering to base – difficult to remove.
 Foul smell.
Management of American Foul brood disease:
 Avoiding getting used-hive-equipments from unknown sources.
 Sanitation and hygiene.
 Washing hands before and after handling bees.
 Feed terramycin @0.5 g / 5 litre sugar syrup.
 Sterilization of combs and other hive parts with Formalin (6ml/l) or ethylene oxide (1g/l)
for 48 h at 43oC in fumigation chambers.
 Breeding for disease resistance.
2. European foul brood disease- Melissococcus plutonius
It was once reported on Apis cerana indica bees in India in 1971 in Maharashtra. It is a
serious disease in Europe on Apis mellifera. Recently reported in Apis mellifera in India
also. This disease is less virulent than American foul brood disease. Here the colonies
recover after the initial attack.
Symptoms
 Early stage of brood affected.
 Affected larvae twisted, turn watery.
 Tracheal system is visible.
 Gut is seen through opaque body.

Course: AEN 302. Management of beneficial insects (1+1). 2020 batch- Agriculture
Course Teacher: K. Devarassou Institute: PAJANCOA&RI,Karaikal Pondicherry university

 Larvae die before capping.

 Scales are rubbery and easily removable.
Management of European Foul brood disease:
 Sanitation and Hygiene.
 Stimulate feeding (sugar syrup).
 Preventive antibiotic treatment with terramycin 0.5 g/ 5 l of sugar syrup.
 Sterilization with Formalin.
 ‘Shook swarm’ method.
 Breeding for resistant colonies.
III. Protozoan disease
1. Nosema disease- Nosema apis
It is a spore forming protozoan. It infects adult bees.
Symptoms
 Infects adult bees.
 Bees become dysenteric.
 Abdomen swollen and distended.
 Food glands are affected by the protozoan.
 Spores germinate in midgut and impairs digestion.
 More common in weak colonies.
 Faeces of sick bees act as reservoirs.
Management of Nosema disease:
 Colony management- sufficient strength required.
 Sterilization of infected equipment by fumigation with formalin/ acetic acid for one week.
 Temperature treatment at 49oC for 24 h.
 Fumigallin @ 10 mg/ litre of sugar.
2.Amoebic disease- Malpighamoeba mellificae
Caused by the protozoan organism. The protozoan affects the malpighian tubules of honey
bees.
Management of Amoebic diseases of Honey bees:
 Colony management- sufficient strength required.

Course: AEN 302. Management of beneficial insects (1+1). 2020 batch- Agriculture
Course Teacher: K. Devarassou Institute: PAJANCOA&RI,Karaikal Pondicherry university

 Sterilization of infected equipment by fumigation with formalin/ acetic acid for one
week.
 Temperature treatment at 49oC for 24 h.
 Treatment of Fumigallin @ 10 mg/ litre of sugar.
IV. Fungal disease
1. Chalk brood disease- Ascophora apis
Symptoms
 Infects 3-4 days old larvae.
 Covered by the white cotton-like mycelium.
 Forms hard and shrunken mummies.
 Mummies easily removable from cell.
 Resemble a chunk of chalk.
 Dampness encourages disease.
2. Stone brood disease- Aspergillus flavus
Symptoms
 Infection takes place by germination of spores in the alimentary canal.
 Also attack adults.
 Larvae become stony hard and lie in open cells.
Management of fungal diseases of Honey bees:
 Maintain a warm, dry hive interior.
 Hives should lean forward slightly.
 Repair old equipment with large holes/ gaps.
 Replace old combs periodically.
 Breed for colonies with good hygienic behavior.
 No chemical treatment is necessary, remove the mummies.

Course: AEN 302. Management of beneficial insects (1+1). 2020 batch- Agriculture