Honeybee Diseases

American Foulbrood

AFB is the most harmful bacterial bee brood disease for its infectious nature. It affects larvae up to three days old where it produces more spores within its digestive tract. The larva dies after it is capped and the spore remains to infect the cell. Bees nature to clean up will spread it more throughout the hive, contaminating honey that is fed to growing larvae. These spores can live up to 40 years.

Infected cells will appear sunken. Upon closer inspection by poking with a small stick inside the cell, one can find a brown, sticky substance clinging at the end.

European Foulbrood

EFB bacterium is less infectious than AFB. It doesn't form spores and kills the infected larva before it is capped. Symptoms include dead or dying larvae that can appear dried out, or melted like AFB.

Chalkbrood

It is a fungal disease that affects 3-4 days old larva. It grows within the gut, while starving the larva of its own nutrients. It later consumes the rest of the larva, causing it to dry and appear like a chalk.

Stonebrood

It is a fungal disease that causes the mummification of a brood. The larva ingests the spores where it hatches inside and grows quickly. It causes the larva to turn black and become stone-like hard after its death. The spores continue to grow and out of the covering where it can continue to spread through out the hive.

Nosema

It is a disease caused by a microbe called Nosema apis that infects the intestinal tract of adult bees. It is not fatal, but may cause a condition called dysentery that can lead to the collapse of the colony.

Black Queen Cell Virus

A virus that causes the queen cell and the larva turn black while killing it. Little is known about the virus but it is often associated with Nosema.

Chronic Bee Paralysis

This virus only affects adult bees. After infection, it causes the bee to become shiny because of the loss of hair. They are disoriented from the colony and attacked by fellow bees. The virus is spread by contact.