1. BACTERIAL AND FUNGAL DISEASES OF LOCAL HONEY BEES
Noel G. Sabino, PhD
Assistant Professor
Institute of Biological Sciences,
College of Arts and Sciences, UP Los Baños

2. Honeybees eusocial insects belonging to the genus Apis
ten species of honeybees are recognized
distinguished by the production and storage of honey
and the construction of perennial, colonial nests out
of wax
Local species:
A. andrenifromis
A. cerana
A. breviligula
A. dorsata
A. mellifera

3. Importance of Honeybees
Bees are significant pollinators of crops
CROPS
MEAN % YIELD INCREASE
Coconut (Native San Ramon)
35 – 70
Cotton (Deltapine 16) 35
Cucurbits
Watermelon
73.9
Cucumber
76.5
Squash
88.9
Upo
84.3
Patola
85.1
Ampalaya
98.7
Sunflower
30.0
Pechay
90.0
Chinese mustard
45.3
Sweet Potato
17.0
Calamansi
56.0
Radish
22.0
honeybees accomplish 1/4 of the pollination needed for all fruit produced for human consumption
ENS 400

4. Tree species as nectar sources
Acacia spp.
Albizia lebbek
Avicennia spp.
Calliandra calothyrus
Eucalyptus camaldulensis
Eucalyptus citriodora
Eucalyptus globutus
Gliricidia sepium
Gmelina arborea
Grevillea robusta
Guazuma ulmifolia
Inga vera
Pithecellobium dulce
Prosopis juliflora
Rhizophora spp.
Syzygium cumini
Bees are pollinators of local timber and other forest species.
Honeybees facilitate genetic enrichment activities which are essential for plants to develop varieties that can change as the ecosystem evolves (Shrestha, 2004).

5. Importance of Honeybees
Bees produce economically important products
honey
royal jelly
beeswax
propolis
bee venom
Reported to have therapeutic potential to many debilitating human diseases.
In the Philippines: 20 million pesos industry
Problem: Decline in honey bee population

6. American Foulbrood (AFB) Disease
the most widespread and virulent brood disease of honey bee
can kill the entire bee colony
Caused by the endospore-forming bacterium, Paenibacillus larvae
Completed study: Survey on the incidence of the disease based
on symptoms and use of culture-based methods
(cultured bees)
On-going study: Development of ELISA-based method of detection
Future study: Use of culture-independent methods of detection
Genotypic characterization and their local distribution

7. European Foulbrood (EFB) Disease
A widespread brood disease of honey bee
Cause significant reduction in the bee colony
Caused by the bacterium, Melissococcus pluton
Completed study: Survey on the incidence of the disease based
on symptoms and use of culture-based methods
(cultured bees)
Future study: Use of culture-independent methods of detection
Development of ELISA-based method of detection
Genotypic characterization and their local distribution

8. Chalkbrood Disease
highly contagious mycosis that is fatal to individual larva
cause significant reduction or collapse of the entire bee population
Caused by the mold Ascosphaera apis
Completed study: Survey on the incidence of the disease based
on symptoms and use of culture-based methods
(cultured bees)
Genotypic characterization of fungal isolates
On-going study: Detection, isolation and identification, and
genotypic characterization of the fungal
pathogen from feral colonies
Future study: Use of culture-independent methods of detection
Genotypic characterization and their local
distribution

9. Control: Biological method
search for bee symbiont with antagonistic activity against the
bee pathogens
What had been done: Use of molecular methods to determine bacterial
populations present in the gut of cultured bees
What is currently being done: Use of culture-based methods to grow and
screen for antagonistic bacteria present in
the gut of feral and cultured bees
What are to be done: Use of NGS to identify bacterial symbionts in the
gut of cultured and feral bees
Isolation and screening for antagonistic bacteria
Development of biocontrol agents and intervention
methods

10. “ If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man”
- Albert Einstein

11. References:
SHRESTHA, J. B Honeybees: the pollinator sustaining crop diversity.
(accessed: 12 September, 2012).
SHRESTA, J. B Honeybees and environment. In: Agriculture and Environment,
Gender Equity and Environmental Division. Ministry of Agriculture and
Cooperatives, HMG, Nepal. 36 p.
THAKUR, M Bees as Pollinators – Biodiversity and Conservation. IJRS Vol.2 (1) pp
(accessed: 12 September, 2012).