Stone brood in bees: how and what to treat, causes and symptoms, prevention

Stone brood, or bee aspergillosis, is a fungal pathology of larvae of different ages and adults. Although the causative agent of the infection is common in nature, the disease is quite rare in beekeeping. Its development is observed during the period of active honey collection or in damp spring weather. In this case, the infection can lead to serious consequences. Therefore, the question of how to treat stone brood in bees is considered very relevant.

What is stone brood

This term refers to a fungal disease of the brood, which is most often diagnosed in the spring. The main causative agents of pathology include Aspergillus flavus Link, fumigatus Fres, niger van Tiegh.

Infected brood can't get out of the comb. It becomes stone and coalesces with the cell. With the development of the disease, the mycelium affects the body of the individual. At the same time, its main effect is associated with a toxin that changes the structure of soft tissues.

Causes of Aspergillosis

Pathogenic fungi lead to the development of aspergillosis. Aspergillus is found on dead individuals and living plants. They are present on the anthers and nectaries of flowers visited by bees. As a result, spores, along with pollen, enter the hives.

The risk of active development of fungi increases at a temperature of + 25-45 degrees and humidity at the level of 95-100%. At the same time, pathogens affect the honeycomb and the bees themselves.

Symptoms

Revealing rock brood is easy enough. Infected larvae are covered with a black or brownish-green coating. In this case, dead individuals acquire a solid consistency.

Adult bees can die not only in the hive itself, but also outside it. In this case, the fungus grows outward, forming a kind of collar behind the head. When pressing on a dead individual, hardening can be felt.

Treatment methods

In isolated cases of death of larvae, combs with bees need to be moved to a dry and warm hive. It must be disinfected. After that, special preparations recommended for the treatment of stone brood are used. These include:

• “Askovet”;
• "Astemizol";
• Askosan;
• Unisan.

Only Unisan is suitable for independent use. In this case, 1.5 milliliters of the substance must be mixed with 750 milliliters of sugar syrup. The resulting solution is recommended to process the following:

• internal walls of the hive;
• frames on both sides;
• empty and populated cells;
• bee colonies with brood;
• work clothes and beekeeper's tools.

Manipulation should be repeated 3-4 times with an interval of 7-10 days. Processing is recommended to be completed 20 days before the start of honey collection.

When bee colonies are severely affected, they must be destroyed. For this, smoking with sulfur dioxide or formalin is used. Insulation, canvases and honeycombs need to be burned. Then you need to process the hives and tools. To do this, you need to do the following:

1. Clean the hives from debris, insect corpses, wax, fungi.
2. Treat surfaces with 5% formaldehyde solution.
3. Dig up the soil under the hives, adding a 4% solution of formaldehyde.
4. Disinfect gowns, towels, facial nets. To do this, you need to boil for half an hour or soak things in a 2% hydrogen peroxide solution for 3 hours. Then they should be washed and dried.

After carrying out disinfecting procedures, the hives and inventory must be washed and dried well. If honeycombs can still be used, it is recommended to process them in the same way as all instruments. If the fungus is severely damaged, the honeycomb should be melted into wax.

Prevention

To avoid the appearance of stone brood in bees, it is recommended to follow these rules:

1. Before installing hives, the land should be treated with lime. It is worth doing for the purpose of disinfection.
2. Keep exceptionally strong bee colonies in the apiary.
3. Place the apiary in dry places that are well lit by the sun.
4. Avoid thick grass.
5. For the winter, reduce the number of nests and warm them well.
6. For the period of lack of honey collection, provide the bees with complete food.
7. Keep the cabins dry, clean and ventilated.
8. Do not handle hives in wet or cold weather.
9. Do not use antibacterial drugs that weaken the immune system of insects to strengthen bee colonies.

High humidity in the hives is a great danger for bees and can cause a deadly disease. Therefore, the houses in the apiary should be dry and warm throughout the year.

Stone brood is considered a rather dangerous disease that leads to negative consequences for bees and can provoke their death. Therefore, when the first signs of a fungal infection appear, it is worth taking action.

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