Protecting
Honey bees (Apis mellifera) produce far more honey than they use themselves. Currently, some 100 million bee colonies around the world produce more than 900,000 tonnes of honey per year. Yet, honey bees are responsible for more than just honey as they also make a valuable contribution to agriculture and the economy: every year, busy bees play a crucial role in pollinating crops and wild plants. As the health of the bees and their production capacity is integrally linked, it is critically important to protect the colonies from dangerous parasites and the diseases they spread.
Enormous economic losses due to parasites.
Some parasites can weaken a colony or destroy it altogether. While a limited parasitic infection is generally not a problem for healthy bees, unfavourable conditions such as extreme cold, heat, poor nutrition or improper keeping can make the bees more susceptible. In such cases, the parasites can quickly gain the upper hand, leading to declining production of honey, pollen and wax and less effective pollination by the bees.
The most common parasites and diseases affecting bees:
Table 1: The most common parasites and diseases affecting bees. Click to enlarge image
Treatment of bee diseases.
Certain types of diseases affecting bee colonies can be controlled with bio-technical or beekeeping measures. However, there can be serious consequences if a certain damage threshold is exceeded. In such cases, it is critically important to promptly use recognised, reliable medicines. Indeed, in many countries there are legal regulations governing the treatment of bee disorders, many of which must be reported to the authorities.
Three effective treatments from Bayer.
Bayer offers three effective medicines for treating infestations of Varroa mites (Varroa destructor), which are found around the world. The different active ingredients and formulations enable these treatments to be integrated in a wide range of pest control programmes.
Bayvarol®, Perizin® and CheckMite+®.
Bayvarol, Perizin and CheckMite+ provide beekeepers with a broad-based programme for treating Varroa infestation. Furthermore, CheckMite+ is an effective treatment against the Small Hive Beetle (Aethina tumida).1
But regardless of what medicine you use, all of these treatments have been developed to be completely effective using the lowest possible amount of active ingredients. Used properly they are almost 100% effective. Not only are they effective, they also don’t pose any threat to bees or the users.
The advantages are clear: your colonies stay healthy and strong, helping them sustain good honey production without any dangerous residues in the honey.
References
- 1 PJ Elzen, JR Baxter, D Westervelt, C Randall, KS Delaplane, L Cutts, WT Wilson (1999): Field control and biology studies of a new pest species, Aethina tumida (Coleoptera, Nitidulidae), attacking European honey bees in the western hemisphere. Apidologie 30, 361-366.