Session 8 – Pests & Diseases Sat 5 th /Sun 6 th April 2013

 Jessica Flower  3 years Bee Keeping  2/3 Hives

We all have a responsibility to reduce pest and diseases 1.Knowing when to panic !!! by knowing what OK Looks Like 2.Reducing the likelihood of diseases and pests 3.Reducing the Stress on our Bees

American Foul Brood Sunken cappings, Pepper Pot UK Statutory Requirement to Tell Bee Inspector – who may have to destroy the hives to destroy the spores Stringy dead larvae Spore forming Bacterium

European Foul Brood Poor Brood Pattern UK Statutory Requirement to Tell Bee Inspector Non Spore Forming Bacterium, Shook Swarm, Chemicals, Burning Twisted larvae with creamy- white guts visible through the body wall Melted down, yellowy white larvae An unpleasant sour odour Loosely-attached brown scales

Chaulk Brood It looks like pieces of chalk in the comb and is chalky-white initially, but some become dark blue-grey or almost black Mummies on alighting board and floor

Nosema Poo splattered on the front of the hive Nosema apisNosema apis is a microsporidian that invades the intestinal tracts of adult bees and causes nosema disease. microsporidian Best form of defence ? Good husbandry Strong well fed colonies headed by productive and disease tolerant colonies headed by young prolific queens. Re queen if necessary.

External Parasitic Mite The mite lays its eggs before the brood is capped The female feeds on the immature bee and lays her eggs Mating of the offspring occurs in the cell, though only the females emerge

As well as causing physical damage by weakening the larvae and adults by feeding directly upon them they also act as a vector for a number of honey bee viruses Deformed Wing Virus Collapsing Colonies Best form of defence ? Integrated Disease Management.

 Wax moth

 Mice  Woodpeckers

 Wax moth  Mice  Woodpeckers  Badgers  Stock  Humans  Wasps

 Wax moth  Mice  Woodpeckers  Badgers  Stock  Humans  Wasps  Beekeepers

 Good hygiene  Clean apiary  Clean equipment  Clean bee suit  Don’t Transfer Disease  Be careful where you get your bees from  Clean hive tools between hives  Don’t leave wax around  Don’t transfer brood comb

 Good hygiene  Clean apiary  Clean equipment  Clean bee suit  Don’t Transfer Disease  Secure hive  Minimise robbing  Minimise draughts  Gentle handling  Reduce stress  Apiary site  Good forage

 Monitor mite drop  Use the fera varroa calculator to find number of mites in the colony  When excessive treat the colony (>1000)  Control mite numbers by removing drone larvae & dust with icing sugar  Can use Apiguard® & oxalic acid !

OMF Drone Dust Apig Oxalic Api- guard® Acid stan® Feb March April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov  Open mesh floors  Drone brood  Dusting with icing sugar  Apiguard  Oxalic acid  Pyrethroids  … and possibly –Queen trapping

 Notifiable diseases  Must inform Bee Inspector  AFB, EFB, SHB, Tropilaelaps  Treatment by authorised person  Destruction (AFB & EFB)  Antibiotics (EFB)  Shook Swarm (EFB)  Insurance  Bee Base Pictures © Fera

We all have a responsibility to reduce pest and diseases 1.Knowing when to panic !!! by knowing what OK Looks Like 2.Reducing the likelihood of diseases and pests 3.Reducing the Stress on our Bees