Managing Pests, Parasites & Disease

Nosema

Nosema is one of the most prevalent infections in honey bees in New York. It is caused by two species of fungal gut parasites, Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae. Both parasites can kill colonies that are unable to clear the infection.

Nosema: Information and identification for control in New York
Nosema at 40x magnification.

Varroa Mites

Varroa mites (Varroa destructor) are the most devastating threat to honey bees and are ubiquitous throughout New York.

Uncapped honey bee cells reveal small disc-shaped varroa mites

American Foulbrood

American foulbrood (AFB) is a destructive, worldwide bacterial disease that infects and kills larvae. Colonies inevitably die either because adults are no longer replaced or because there are too few of them to protect against robbing. The bacterium that causes this disease, Paenibacillus larvae, can infect colonies at any time of the year.

A brown, ropy substance is extracted from a hive cell.
A larvae dead from American foulbrood. The brown, ropy consistency of the dead larvae is typical of those that die from this disease.

European Foulbrood

European foulbrood (EFB) is a bacterial infection that negatively impacts honey bee colonies world-wide. The disease infects larvae and is caused by the bacterium Melissococcus plutonius.

uncapped honey bee larvae with EFB look chewed down and melted

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Beekeepers need a veterinarian's prescription before they can use antibiotics to treat a disease in one of their colonies.