Bee diseases: main signs, common diseases and treatment

The health of bees allows you to guarantee not only a large amount of high-quality honey, but also the peace of mind of the beekeeper. In order to successfully breed small toilers, the beekeeper must be aware of the diseases that these insects may have and how to deal with them. The site https://moremeda.com contains useful information not only about bee products, but also tips on keeping and breeding bees.

Bee diseases: main signs, common diseases and treatment

Signs of disease

The health of the bee colony can be determined by regular inspection. The main signs indicating the presence of diseases include the following signs:

  1. Distended abdomen.
  2. Knocking down bees in heaps.
  3. The presence of discarded brood near the hives.
  4. Manifestation of aggression.
  5. Holes in the abdomen.
  6. Inverted wings.
  7. Shortening the life of bees.

These signs give every reason to contact a veterinarian and perform laboratory diagnostics, which can provide more accurate data.

Diseases of bees

There are several types of bee diseases. Diseases can be either contagious or non-contagious. The latter appear in insects as a result of a violation of keeping technologies and cannot be transmitted from one bee to another.

Infectious diseases of bees can be infectious and invasive. The occurrence of infectious diseases is influenced by microorganisms of plant origin, and the appearance of invasive diseases is influenced by organisms of animal origin.

Among the diseases of bees, the most common are the following:

  1. chemical toxicosis. This non-contagious disease occurs due to poisoning with fertilizers for plants. With this disease, the bees show aggression, weaken and may die in the hive. As a remedy, bees need to replace honeycombs with sugar syrup combs.
  2. Septicemia. This disease is infectious. The occurrence of this disease is affected by a high level of humidity in the winter hut. Bees become restless, quickly weaken and die. Many bees have bloated belly. If signs of diseased insects are found, they must be distilled into a dry insulated hive.
  3. Varroatosis. This disease is invasive. Its causative agent is a tick. Bees begin to experience severe anxiety, disturbances are detected in the development of their larvae, and the life cycle of insects is also reduced. This disease must be treated with drugs prescribed by a veterinarian.

Bees are susceptible to various diseases. However, the speed of reaction and the right treatment can help the beekeeper keep the bee colony healthy.

Leave a Reply