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When it comes to treating your colonies for Americ

When it comes to treating your colonies for American Foulbrood, it depends on the severity of the infection.

Light infection:
• Mark the frame with an X on the topbar and place in position 2 of the brood chamber.
• When most capped brood has emerged, remove the marked brood frame for destruction.
• Replace the frame with a new frame with foundation.
• Apply an antibiotic treatment to the colony (contact the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food Apiculture Office; click the link in our bio and select "Beekeeping Resources" for further instruction). Check the colony once a week.

Medium infection:
• Prepare a single brood chamber with new frames and foundation on a clean bottom board. Slide the diseased hive to the side and place new hive in its place.
• Check for the queen and manually transfer her to the new hive. Shake the bees off each of the old frames. Force the entire bee population in single chamber.
• Discard and destroy all old frames. If boxes are still in good condition, use blow torch and scorch the insides lightly.
• Leave the colony in the new hive alone for 3-5 days to let them settle. After the 3-5 days, use a bucket or top feeder with 2:1 sugar-water syrup including a correct dose of antibiotic (contact the Apiculture Office).

Heavy infection:
• The colony condition is beyond recovery. As it weakens, foraging bees from other colonies are attracted and will rob the colony spreading the disease.
• The colony should be killed and equipment burned.
• All frames should be destroyed. Only boxes, bottom boards and lids in good condition can be saved by scorching the inside.

For more information about the use of prescribed antibiotics, click the link in our bio and select "Beekeeping Resources".

If you suspect AFB, contact the BC Apiculture Office or your local Apiary Inspector: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/agriculture-seafood/animals-and-crops/animal-production/bees.

References:
BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food. (2020). Apiculture factsheet: American Foulbrood (AFB) (205). https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/farming-natural-resources-and-industry/agriculture-and-seafood/animal-and-crops/animal-production/bee-assets/api_fs205.pdf

According to Genersch (2010), "Prior to the arriva

According to Genersch (2010), "Prior to the arrival of the parasitic mite, Varroa destructor, the economically most important diseases of honey bees worldwide were the bacterial brood diseases European Foulbrood (EFB) and American Foulbrood (AFB)." The nature of practicing beekeeping unfortunately adds to AFB's high level of contagion. The constant exchange of materials between hives and apiaries makes it challenging to control AFB, which is why it is important to be aware of how to spot it!

When in the bee yard, take note of the following symptoms of AFB:
• Hive shows less activity and colony may appear weak after opening the hive.
• Capped brood is uneven with puncture holes in the brood cell cappings.
• Colonies with heavy infestation often display irritable behaviour.
• AFB has a distinct “foul” odor - note that a lack of odor does not prove AFB is not present!
• The larval remnant may be a light brown mass sunk onto the bottom side of the brood cell. If the mass is ropy when withdrawing the toothpick, it is likely AFB.
• In the brood cell, the larval remains will dry and harden over time into a dark leathery scale at the bottom side of the brood cell.

AFB scales can be readily detected in the field by holding the brood frame at an angle of approximately 30 degrees with the sun or another light source from behind.

For official diagnosis, smear the cell contents on the inside of a small small plastic bag or sleeve and withdraw the toothpick. Gently squeeze the air out of the plastic bag. Place bag in an envelope and mail to the Apiculture office for confirmation.

References:

BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food. (2020). Apiculture factsheet: American Foulbrood (AFB) (205). https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/farming-natural-resources-and-industry/agriculture-and-seafood/animal-and-crops/animal-production/bee-assets/api_fs205.pdf

Genersch, E. (2010). American Foulbrood in honeybees and its causative agent, Paenibacillus larvae. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, 103, S10–S19. doi:10.1016/j.jip.2009.06.015

Snyder, R. (2013). AFB: Scale forming in cells [Photograph]. Bee Informed. https://beeinformed.org/2013/10/21/american-foulbrood-afb/

American Foulbrood (AFB) is a honey bee disease ca

American Foulbrood (AFB) is a honey bee disease caused by spore-forming bacterium called Paenibacillus larvae subsp. larvae (Genersch et al., 2005). AFB does not affect adult honey bees, but is detrimental to honey bees in their larval stage.

When in its vegetative state, P. larvae colonize the midgut of honey bee larvae where it then multiplies and consequently destroys the integrity of the midgut epithelium. This leads to the death of the larvae (Yue et al., 2008).

Genersch (2010) says, "Larvae are most susceptible to infection during the early larval stages, i.e. 12–36 h after egg hatching. During this time window, the oral uptake of a dose of about ten spores or fewer via contaminated larval food is sufficient to successfully initiate a fatal infection."

For more information about American foulbrood, click the link in our bio and select “Disease and Pest Management Resources”.

References:
Genersch, E. (2010). American Foulbrood in honeybees and its causative agent, Paenibacillus larvae. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, 103, S10–S19. doi:10.1016/j.jip.2009.06.015

Genersch, E., Ashiralieva, A., & Fries, I. (2005). Strain- and genotype-specific differences in virulence of Paenibacillus larvae subsp. larvae, a bacterial pathogen causing American Foulbrood Disease in Honeybees. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 71(11). https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.71.11.7551-7555.2005

Snyder, R. (2013). American Foulbrood (AFB) [Photograph]. Bee Informed. https://beeinformed.org/2013/10/21/american-foulbrood-afb/

Yue, D., Nordhoff, M., Wieler, L. H., & Genersch, E. (2008). Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis of the interactions between honeybee larvae and Paenibacillus larvae, the causative agent of American foulbrood of honeybees (Apis mellifera). Environmental Microbiology, 10(6), 1612–1620. doi:10.1111/j.1462-2920.2008.01579.x

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If you suspect your colonies may have Nosema disea

If you suspect your colonies may have Nosema disease, there is a two-step process of treatment and control. The first step is to treat your colonies with antibiotics and the second step is to clean your beehive equipment to prevent further spread of the spores.

Treatment:
It's important to note that you should only treat your colonies with antibiotics if Nosema disease has been confirmed. If your colonies have been diagnosed, you can treat them with fumagillin (Fumagillin-B, Fumadil B). In the spring, you can treat every brood chamber with 2.5 grams of Fumagillin-B dissolved in 2 liters of sugar-syrup. In the fall, you can treat every brood chamber with 5 grams of Fumagillin-B dissolved in 4 liters of sugar-syrup.

To treat your colonies with antibiotics:
• Prepare Fumagillin according to the instructions on its label.
• Prepare sugar syrup - preferably 2 parts sugar : 1 part water.
• Add 1.25 g of Fumagillin-B per liter of sugar syrup.
• Feed 4 L of treated sugar syrup per brood chamber in the fall, and 2 L in the spring.

Note that Fumagillin dissolves better in warm water. For more information regarding Fumagillin, click the link in our bio and select "Disease and Pest Management Resources".

Control:
"The best natural defense against Nosema disease is a strong, healthy colony with a prolific queen and sufficient food stores, especially pollen, in a well-ventilated hive body." (BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food, 2020). To prevent Nosema disease, clean your beehive equipment:
• With hot water and soap, scrub boxes (supers), inner covers, and bottom boards.
• Scrape top and bottom boards.
• Equipment can also be sterilized through irradiation at a designated facility.

For more information about Nosema disease, click the link in our bio and select 'Disease and Pest Management Resources'.

References:
BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food. (2020). Apiculture factsheet: Nosema (203). https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/farming-natural-resources-and-industry/agriculture-and-seafood/animal-and-crops/animal-production/bee-assets/api_fs203.pdf

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#BCHPA #BCTTP #nosema #nosemosis #honeybee #honeybees #savethebees #beeeducation #diseasecontrol #treatment #bee #bees

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