Bee Diseases, Health Risks & their Management in Africa. Mike Allsopp ARC-PPRI, Stellenbosch South Africa

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1 Bee Diseases, Health Risks & their Management in Africa Mike Allsopp ARC-PPRI, Stellenbosch South Africa

2 Where to begin? Bee Diseases & Bee Pests Need to know what & where & so what of any bee pests or disease before can properly assess the risk and before can address what management is needed So, how much do we know about the What and the Where and the So What of bee pests and diseases in Africa?

3 Not Very Much Can use official situation as reflected in the OIE official status maps Or use other sources of information, that also produce maps (IBRA, COLOSS, publications) Both sources of information tell us the same thing and best illustrated by the OIE maps

4 Varroa mites

5 American Foulbrood (AFB)

6 Small Hive Beetle

7 Information Needed It is mostly no information for all the pests and diseases of Africa And if we don t have the basic information, then risk assessments and management strategies are mostly guesswork Highlights the MOST important conclusion that the continent needs reliable data collection & reporting with regards to bee pests and diseases Very important that this is being addressed in the Bee Project and other initiatives

8 European Foulbrood (EFB) Caused by bacterium Melissococcus pluton A disease of young larvae, which dies; curls up on the side of the cell; c shaped; normally yellow or light brown; dries to form a scale Normally a spring disease, after a wet winter Probably found all over Africa?; occasional outbreaks?; not too serious? OIE notifiable disease Risk to Africa small Management better beekeeping & removal frame beekeeping

9 American Foulbrood (AFB) Bacterial disease (Paenibacillus larvae) Kills larvae, at a later stage than EFB Most serious bee disease the world tends to kill all infected colonies or treat with antibiotics OIE notifiable disease

10 American Foulbrood (AFB) Recent infection in South Africa only in the Western Cape Apis mellifera capensis Near epidemic status in the Western Cape So far not in the rest of SA or in A m scutellata Causing substantial losses especially in big beekeeping operations with intensive pollination-based beekeeping Almost certain that came from imported honey Risk to Africa serious in intensive beekeeping operations Management highly skilled beekeeping; movable frames; non-intensive beekeeping; not move bees too much

11 Clinical Infected Colonies AFB from 340 beekeepers; full-blown AFB; colonies dying

12 Varroa Caused by the mite Varroa destructor In North Africa since the 1980 s and spreading from South Africa since 1997 Has spread rapidly through Africa Botswana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Lesotho, Mozambique, Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, Madagascar probably other countries as well

13 OIE notifiable disease Varroa Most serious bee pest worldwide But few reports of substantial colony losses or negative effects, but disturbing reports from Kenya and Madagascar Have 20 years of monitoring data in South Africa African bees are able to manage varroa without heavy losses But probably weakens our bee populations and make them more susceptible to other diseases, or to pesticide issues; not harmless as generally perceived Can transmit American Foulbrood bacteria Risk to Africa serious in intensive beekeeping operations Management need to contain the movement of bees, and the level of intensive beekeeping

14 Tropilaelaps mites The mite Tropilaelaps clarea Also an Asian mite Not yet found in Africa or maybe in Kenya? OIE notifiable disease Risk to Africa substantial Management keep foreign bees out of Africa

15 Tracheal mites The mite Acarapis woodi Found in the trachea of bees a significant problem in colder climates First found in SA in 1995 spread into Africa is unknown Very low numbers in SA, and seems to have no effect on our bees OIE notifiable disease Risk to Africa very small Management none required

16 Nosema Very widespread; probably all over Africa but at low levels Caused by microsporidian Nosema apis Mostly found in colonies confined by bad weather Colony dwindles but seldom dies Nosema ceranae is a major concern. Already a report from Tanzania & will probably spread throughout Africa Risk to Africa substantial for N ceranae Management too early to say but needs careful monitoring

17 b Chalkbrood/Stonebrood Fungal disease of larvae & pupae Caused by Aspergillus apis Turns brood into hard, chalk-like bits Mostly a stress disease, often in moist conditions Associated with high varroa mite levels No known treatment (other than healthy bees) Risk to Africa very low Management good beekeeping practices

18 Small hive beetle Nitidulidae; all over sub-saharan Africa Aethina tumida is a common presence in hives; parasite of honeybees; feeds on honey, pollen and brood Recent serious problems in the USA (1996), Australia (2001), Italy (2014) and Egypt (?); killing large numbers of colonies; actively consume brood; seemingly little active defence. Now an OIE notifiable disease

19 Small hive beetle Does become a problem in intensive beekeeping operations, especially in honey houses and extraction Beetle numbers can build up dramatically in intensive beekeeping operations, and beetles can cause problems in stressed colonies, even in Africa Can spread American Foulbrood Risk to Africa low, but a factor in intensive beekeeping Management use new hives; use queen excluders to ensure no pollen or brood mixed with the honey.

20 Large hive beetle Cetoniidae beetles; fruit/flower beetles Periodic visitors to colonies, sometimes in large numbers (100 and more) A number of species, particularly two Hoplostoma species Risk to Africa low Management keep out of colonies by reducing hive entrances

21 Bee pirates Palarus latifrons banded bee pirate; predatory wasp; mostly at nest entrances; mostly in summer; sometimes hundreds of wasps; can severely damage and even kill colonies especially in sandy areas Situation in Africa unknown Risk to Africa low but a major problem in some areas, and especially during crop pollination of seed crops Management - best treatment is to move bees away, or to lure the bee pirates into water traps with mirrors; shade; boxes out of the sun; foliage around hives

22 Health Risks - General Importing bees Importing bee products Moving bees around Moving bee products around

23 Health Risks - General Industrial scale beekeeping Intensive beekeeping & pollination revenue is attractive but has costs in terms of chemical exposure, diseases and bee health in general

24 Management - General Need reliable, controlled, continuous data collecting and information Information needs to be accessible Need to manage Africa at a regional or continental level bees move! Politics makes that very difficult.

25 Management - General Need to not import bees into Africa Need to look at controlling the importation of bee products into Africa Need to not move bees around in Africa Need to seriously consider how best to industrialise beekeeping in Africa so as not to collapse the vitality of our bee population and collapse African honey markets

26 Management - General Need to improve the beekeeping skills in Africa Need to move to movable frame beekeeping (and to fixed frame beekeeping) Need to move to day-time beekeeping

27 The Challenge finding an African Way Most beekeeping in Africa at present does not have major bee disease challenges; or health risks; or need particular management Because the colonies are at low density, are not stressed, and are a genetically varied population But it is also mostly not commercially viable

28 The Challenge finding an African Way Improving the commercial & industrial manner of beekeeping in Africa increases the bee disease problems and risks, and the need for management; and reduces the current robustness of African honey bees Migrating bees to honey crops increases stress and spreads diseases Pollination increases stress and spreads diseases Pollination and intensive honey flows threaten honey quality

29 The Challenge finding an African Way Reducing absconding and swarming is crucial for commercial beekeeping operations, but increases disease and pest problems Working bees during the daylight increases dangers and theft problems, and force bees to be kept close to each other Breeding bees so that they are not so defensive reduces their natural variation and robustness

30 The Challenge is to be able to find an African Way, where we can have a strong and vital African bee population that is also commercially viable