The most serious disease a hive can have
Spore forming
The vegetative stage infects larvae
It grows for about ten days and then turns into a spore
2.5 billion spores can exist in one (AFB) scale
It takes only about 10 spores fed to a one day old larvae for it to become infected
Symptoms/Identification
Irregular brood pattern (shotgun appearance)
Many cells are left open among capped brood
Perforated, sunken, sometimes greasy looking wet capped cells
Foul odor
Discolored larvae
Dried out scales adherer to lower cell walls
Pupal tongue may be present
Larvae die upright
Scales are difficult to remove
How it Spreads
Robbing behavior
Infected equipment
Drifting
Infected honey and pollen
Swarm
Diagnose
Rosiness test-- take a toothpick stir it into a sick larvae and if it stretches out like glue it is most likely (AFB)
Foulbrood test kit
Send a sample of Honey free brood to Bee disease Diagnosis
bee research Laboratory
Bldg. 306 Room 316
Beltsville Agriculture Research Center-East
Beltsville, MD 2070
Treatment
Terramycin and Tylan powder kills the vegetative stage but not the spores!!!
Lye bath and Paraffin dipping are both options but there is a risk of reinfection
Ethylene oxide kills the spores but few states still approve it. (it is known as a cancer causing chemical and doesn’t kill the spores in honey)
Gamma Radiation (impractical)
Put the bees on knew equipment, requeen, and feed or spray with a medicated syrup
BURNING is the most effective treatment. Kill the bees with soapy water at night. And them burn them. Then Burn the infected equipment and bury it.