Contents
- Application in beekeeping
- Composition, form of release
- Pharmacological properties
- Oxytetracycline hydrochloride for bees: instructions
- Treatment of bees with tetracycline: dosage, application rules
- How to breed oxytetracycline for bees
- Side effects, contraindications, restrictions on use
- Shelf life and storage conditions
- Conclusion
Beekeeping is not as easy as it may seem. In order for insects to multiply well, not to get sick, beekeepers use various preparations. One of them is oxytetracycline hydrochloride. It is given to treat foulbrood (a bacterial disease). Pharmacological properties of the drug, contraindications, side effects, instructions for using oxytetracycline for bees – more on that later.
Application in beekeeping
Beekeepers use the drug to treat foul diseases of their wards. The most dangerous are 2 types of disease:
- American foulbrood;
- European bastard.
The first danger of the disease is its rapid spread. If treatment is not started on time, the entire hive may die. The disease primarily affects the larvae. They die out and remain at the bottom of the hive as a putrefactive mass.
The second danger is that foulbrood will soon spread to the remaining hives and even neighboring apiaries.
Composition, form of release
Oxytetracycline hydrochloride looks like a brown powder. It is produced in paper bags of 2 g (for 4 bee colonies).
The main component of the drug is the antibiotic terramycin. Its active ingredient is oxytetracycline.
Pharmacological properties
Oxytetracycline hydrochloride is an antibacterial and antimicrobial drug. It has a bacteriostatic effect. That is, it stops the reproduction of microorganisms, which leads to their rapid extinction. It affects gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. Oxytetracycline is not effective against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus, yeast fungi.
Oxytetracycline hydrochloride for bees: instructions
The optimal time for treatment of bees with oxytetracycline is the beginning of spring, before the start of collecting honey or after it is pumped out. Before giving the bees an antibiotic, all sick individuals are isolated in a separate house. There are 3 ways to administer the drug:
- feeding;
- dusting;
- spraying.
Judging by the reviews, the most effective method is spraying. The antibiotic powder is mixed with boiled water.
The solution for dusting is prepared as follows: take starch, powdered sugar or flour. Add oxytetracycline powder there.
To prepare a mixture for feeding, you need to take a small amount of warm boiled water, add an antibiotic there. After mixing, add a little 50% sugar syrup.
Treatment of bees with tetracycline: dosage, application rules
The dosage of the drug does not depend on the chosen method of treatment. For 1 frame, you need to take 0,05 g of oxytetracycline hydrochloride for bees. When treating by spraying, 15 ml of solution per 1 frame is sufficient, while feeding – 100 ml. To process the frame by dusting, the beekeeper will need 6 g of dry mix.
Treatment is carried out 1 time per week until complete recovery. 3 times is usually enough to eliminate clinical symptoms. In addition to antibiotic treatment, when treating bees, it is necessary:
- disinfect equipment;
- burn the waste from the infected hive;
- replace uterus.
How to breed oxytetracycline for bees
For the treatment of bees by feeding, oxytetracycline is diluted in sugar syrup. Take 0,5 g of the substance per 1 liter of syrup. The antibiotic is also used for prophylactic purposes. In this case, 0,2 g of oxytetracycline per 3,8 liters of syrup is sufficient.
The spray solution is made differently. For 2 liters of warm water take 50 g of antibiotic. The mixture is added to the water for washing the beehives. 1 ml of solution is enough for 30 frame.
Side effects, contraindications, restrictions on use
The drug is contraindicated if insects have hypersensitivity to tetracyclines. It should not be given to bees during the period of honey collection. There were no side effects or symptoms of overdose in insects.
Shelf life and storage conditions
The shelf life of a closed package with the drug is 2 years. It must be stored in a dry place, out of direct sunlight. The room should be at room temperature (approximately 22°C).
Conclusion
Instructions for the use of oxytetracycline for bees is not difficult to use the drug. You just need to mix the medicine with water, sugar syrup or flour. For all its simplicity, it is an effective remedy against foul diseases in bees.