INTRODUCTION TO BEEKEEPING

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

Introductions

Jessica Flower 3 years

Bee Keeping 2/3 Hives

Key Messages

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

What does OK Look Like ?- Healthy Brood

What Bad Looks Like –Brood Diseases

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

What Bad Looks Like –Brood Diseases

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 wallMelted down, yellowy white larvaeAn unpleasant sour odourLoosely-attached brown scales

What Bad Looks Like –Brood Diseases

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

Adult Bee DiseasesNosema

Poo splattered on the front of the hive

Nosema apis is a microsporidian that invades the intestinal tracts of adult bees and causes nosema disease.

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.

Varroa 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

Varroa 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.

Pests

Wax moth

Pests

Wax moth Mice Woodpeckers

Pests

Wax moth Mice Woodpeckers Badgers Stock Humans Wasps

Pests

Wax moth Mice Woodpeckers Badgers Stock Humans Wasps Beekeepers

Healthy Bees

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

Healthy Bees

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

Prevention

Prevention

Varroa Treatment 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

Integrated Pest Management

UK Statutory requirements

Notifiable diseases Must inform Bee Inspector

AFB, EFB, SHB, Tropilaelaps Treatment by authorised

person Destruction (AFB & EFB) Antibiotics (EFB) Shook Swarm (EFB) Insurance

Bee BasePictures © Fera

UK Statutory requirements

Pictures © Fera

Key Messages

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