Biology & Sustainability

Event Title

Chalkbrood Fungal Infection as a Signal of Health-Related Problems, Poor Nutrition, and Distress in Honey Bee Colonies

Document Type

Poster Presentation

Location

Indianapolis, IN

Subject Area

Biology & Sustainability

Start Date

11-4-2014 8:30 AM

End Date

11-4-2014 9:30 AM

Description

Larvae of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) can get infected and killed by the fungus Ascosphaera apis, which consumes the larva from inside out, then dries, creating a mummy, so-called chalkbrood. A warm or chilling shock to the brood accentuates the disease. Recently, beekeepers have reported increased chalkbrood in their colonies. Examining record books of these colonies indicate treatment with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), antibiotics, and miticides. To examine the link that may exist between chalkbrood and treatments applied to colonies, growth rate of A. apis was determined by fungus culture under strong chalkbrood-inducing temperatures on agar supplemented with crushed bee larvae as a mock-infection. Implementing chilling, or warming cues caused no particular growth rate enhancement of A. apis, while miticides had a negative effect on growth, sometimes killing the fungus. HFCS and antibiotics, alone and mixed, did not positively or negatively alter growth of A. apis. We conclude that chalkbrood is not a pathogenic consequence of HFCS, antibiotics, miticides, or temperature shocks, but rather is related to the bee where these treatments signal other health problems that make the bee more prone to infection.

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Apr 11th, 8:30 AM Apr 11th, 9:30 AM

Chalkbrood Fungal Infection as a Signal of Health-Related Problems, Poor Nutrition, and Distress in Honey Bee Colonies

Indianapolis, IN

Larvae of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) can get infected and killed by the fungus Ascosphaera apis, which consumes the larva from inside out, then dries, creating a mummy, so-called chalkbrood. A warm or chilling shock to the brood accentuates the disease. Recently, beekeepers have reported increased chalkbrood in their colonies. Examining record books of these colonies indicate treatment with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), antibiotics, and miticides. To examine the link that may exist between chalkbrood and treatments applied to colonies, growth rate of A. apis was determined by fungus culture under strong chalkbrood-inducing temperatures on agar supplemented with crushed bee larvae as a mock-infection. Implementing chilling, or warming cues caused no particular growth rate enhancement of A. apis, while miticides had a negative effect on growth, sometimes killing the fungus. HFCS and antibiotics, alone and mixed, did not positively or negatively alter growth of A. apis. We conclude that chalkbrood is not a pathogenic consequence of HFCS, antibiotics, miticides, or temperature shocks, but rather is related to the bee where these treatments signal other health problems that make the bee more prone to infection.