Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
traps placed on your hives should be emptied at least twice weekly. I well remember
selling what I thought was a barrel of propolis to a buyer who later found he had bought
a barrel of maggots.
Remember that, if you do find moth damage in your hives, look for the reason why the
moths have managed to cause this damage. It could be because of disease.
Diseases affect either the brood or the adult bees. Here we look first at those that affect
the brood. Diseases are sometimes difficult to recognize, especially in their early stages,
so, if you think there may be something amiss, ask for advice. The worst thing you can
do is nothing, and other beekeepers will be willing to help simply because they don't
want infected hives in their areas. Most areas also have bee-disease inspectors of some
kind, and it is much better to meet them earlier rather than later.
American Foul Brood (AFB)
AFB is probably the most serious of the brood diseases. It is highly infectious bacterial
disease and can be spread by drifting bees, by robbing and by the beekeeper moving
from an infected hive to others during inspections. Colonies that have AFB must
be destroyed. By this I mean that the bees must be killed and brood frames burnt.
Woodwork other than the frames may be saved, depending on state or national laws,
but must usually be thoroughly sterilized. In many countries outbreaks of AFB must
be reported to the appropriate authority, and it is these who deal with the problem. In
other words, the outbreak is taken out of the beekeeper's hands.
Damage
AFB is caused by the spore-forming bacterium
Paenibacillus larvae
(formerly classified
as
Bacillus larvae
). Larvae up to three days old become infected by their ingesting spores
present in their food. Young larvae less than 24 hours old are, however, most susceptible,
and infected larvae usually die after their cells are sealed.
