Bees are essential insects for life on the planet, since they are the main pollinators of flowering plants and a good part of the food we consume depends on this pollinating action that, although Other animals also perform, bees have a main role. These insects can suffer from various pathologies, which have to do with their genetics, the presence of pathogens, which can be viruses, fungi, bacteria, protozoa and even some arthropods and other environmental conditions. Continue reading this article on our site and find out 20 diseases of bees.
Acariasis
Acariasis or also called acarapisosis, is a disease of adult bees, which is caused by a mite, an identified arachnid such as the species Acarapis woodi. This species parasitizes its body staying in the respiratory system of honey bees and feeds on their hemolymph.
Affects colonies in both North and South America, Europe and Middle Eastern countries. Newly hatched bees are more sensitive to the disease but, if present, the mite attacks en masse and can wipe out an entire colony.
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Varroasis
Varroosis is another of the diseases suffered by bees and this one is also caused by a mite. In this case, it behaves like an external parasite, both of adult bees and broods. Although there are several species that cause this disease, the mite identified as Varroa destructor is the one that causes the most damage, being a vector of a virus that causes a deformation in the wings of beesand a shortening of the abdomen This disease is also transmitted by direct contact between individuals and occurs throughout the world, except in Oceania.
Tropilaelapsosis
Another disease that bees suffer from is tropilaelapsosis, caused by different species of mites of the Tropilaelaps genus. These animals are distributed in Asia and, when they enter the hives, they feed on both the larvae and the pupae, in addition to producing certain deformities in the adult bees The disease can be spread by direct transmission between insects.
American Foulbrood
American foulbrood is an important disease that affects honey bees in particular. It is of the bacterial type, caused by the species Paenibacillus larvae. The bacterium is capable of producing spores, which is how it diffuses and invades the colonies and, once developed, kills larvae
Even if bacteria are controlled with antibiotics, the spores are resistant and highly contagious, so the only effective form of control is burning the hive and everything that came in contact with it. This disease has a global presence.
You may be wondering what the life cycle of honey bees is like, so we will explain it to you in the next post on our site.
European Foulbrood
In relation to American foulbrood, European foulbrood is caused by the bacterium Melissococcus plutonius which, like the previous case, this kills bees in its way larvaria It is highly contagious through contact between bees and even between honeycombs. It is distributed throughout America and Asia, including countries in the Middle East.
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Amoebiasis of bees
This is a disease caused by a protozoan called Malpighamoeba mellificae, which infects both the Malpighian tubes and the digestive system of bees and causes a intestinal inflammation due to the formation of cysts, which finally causes diarrhea in insects, inability to fly and finally death.
Petrified Hatchling
In this case we find a fungal-type disease, caused by the fungus Ascosphaera apis. The form of contagion to bees occurs when the larvae also consume the spores produced by the fungus Once inside the larva, the mycelium of the fungus begins to grow and generates the death of the bee in this stage, causing it to dry up and become petrified.
Don't miss this other post about the predators of wasps and bees, here!
Chronic bee paralysis virus
The chronic bee paralysis virus disease is of the viral type, as its name indicates, and is of the infectious-contagious type, which is transmitted by contaminated foods that are consumed in the hive. Once the virus is in the digestive tract, it spreads to the animal's nervous system, especially the head. Finally causes the paralysis of the bee and then its death
Nosemosis
Nosemosis is a disease that affects bees and is caused by contagion with a fungus called Nosema apis, which acts as a parasite destroying the cells of the digestive system that are responsible for processing food and obtaining nutrients. In this way, the bee cannot take advantage of the essential elements. In addition, it generates inflammation of the abdomen and diarrhoea, which can cause death.
Aethinosis
Aethinosis is caused by a beetle that is a type of beetle identified as the species Aethina tumida. The larval form of the beetle feeds on the eggs, honey and pollen of bees, to the point of collapsing and destroying the hive.
Depending on the species, some bees manage to defend themselves by wrapping the invader in a resinous substance, but others cannot. The disease attacks European and African species of bees.
How do bees make honey? Find out in this article on our site.
Other bee diseases
As we have been able to review, there are many diseases that bees can suffer from. Even so, below we mention other bee diseases so you can learn more:
- Calcified calf disease.
- Deformed wing virus.
- Sacciform brood virus.
- Acute bee paralysis virus.
- Queen black cell virus.
- Israeli acute paralysis virus.
- Cachemire bee virus.
- Kakugo Virus.
- Invertebrate iridescent virus type 6.
- Tobacco macular virus.
