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Study Guide: Nosema Apis & Cerana

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I’m really glad that on the study guide for the Texas Master Beekeeper Apprentice Level Study Guide that they put honey bee diseases as the first section. It’s really upsetting to study all of the various things that can wreak havoc with our precious hives, so I’m eager to plow through this and get on to studying more about these fascinating creatures.

Previously we looked at American Foulbrood, and then European Foulbrood.

Next on our hit parade of bee maladies is the dreaded Nosema. There are many different species of Nosema (different strains affect different insects), but only two that affect honeybees. Nosema Apis, and Nosema Cerana. The latter has only affected European honeybees only recently. Cerena is more damaging and kills bees faster than Apis.

Nosema is a disease of the gut. It’s the result of a microsporidian parasite that gets ingested by the bees and damages their digestive ability. It’s generally always around, but the hive can run into trouble during the times of year that conditions are ripe for Nosema to build up inside the hive and therefore more readily become ingested by the bee population.

Besides a generally sluggish colony just not doing well, signs you can keep an eye out for when thinking of Nosema include a number of things. Bees crawling around on the ground in front of the hive can suggest Nosema. The condition known as “K Wing” where the two sets of wings spread out and suggest the letter “K” on top of the bee is also something to watch for. Probably the biggest and most obvious tell tale sign for Nosema is fecal staining on the outside surface of your hive. It looks like brown or yellow drips. The bees get dysentery as they are infected with Nosema. Nosema seems to peak in late winter when the bees haven’t been able to take cleansing flights out of the hive and the spores just build up and build up.

The only way to absolutely diagnose Nosema conclusively is with a microscopic examination.

The standard treatment for Nosema is to feed syrup mixed with fumagillin. I did find an interesting article by Randy Oliver that talked about a drench treatment as well.

Here is a good video on the subject.

Next: Chalkbrood!

Study Guide: European Foulbrood

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In my continuing quest to be prepared for the Apprentice Level Exam for the Texas Master Beekeeper program, this is the next entry in my series of study guides. As a reminder, here is the list of what you need to know for the apprentice level exam.

Yesterday’s article was about American Foulbrood

Today I am studying European Foulbrood. While it’s still dreadful to have anything associated with your bees that starts with the word “foul”, European Foulbrood is the not quite as dreadful one to get. Oh, and by the way, the only reason one is “American” and one is “European” has to do with an American person identified the American one, and…you guessed it….a European identified the subject of today’s study.

European Foulbrood is another thing to keep in your mind when you discover a scattered brood pattern. European Foulbrood doesn’t make spores (like American does) so that makes it easier to control. This bacteria gets into the brood food and is eaten by the larve. Then it competes for food with the larve which understandably causes problems for the larve. And, if varroa didn’t already cause enough problems, they are spreaders of EFB. Just another reason to be vigilant with your mite control.

I read that there appears to be a relationship to the ratio between nurse bees and larva and the incidence of European Foulbrood. During a big nectar flow, more bees are assigned to “worker” status so there are less nurse bees. This creates a situation for EFB to take over. When the ratio corrects itself, the problem will likely be corrected.

When Larvae die from European Foulbrood they curl up, change color from that glorious glossy white to yellow or brown. The dead larvae will feel rubbery. When the larve die, the workers don’t cap the cell, so that’s why the scattered brood pattern is a big clue.

The best way to keep European Foulbrood out of your life is to keep a generally healthy hive. If you start to notice a problem, you can treat with antibiotics and you can also requeen your hive for more hygenic behavior by the bees.

Here are some good articles on European Foulbrood

Beeinformed Article on European Foulbrood

Texas A&M Article on European Foulbrood

Study Guide: American Foulbrood

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I am registered to take the test to be designated an Apprentice Level beekeeper which is the first step in becoming a Master Beekeeper in the State of Texas. I will take the test in November in San Antonio at the Texas Beekeepers Association Annual Convention. The program provides this study guide, but I haven’t been able to find a comprehensive place to find all of the actual information. So, I decided to create one. This is the first in a series of articles I’m writing where I pull together the information on each section of the test.

Please understand that I have not taken the test and am currently studying for it. I don’t know what will actually be on the test. Watch for another article where I’ll summarize the experience of taking (and hopefully passing) the exam.

The first section on the study guide covers honey bee diseases. The process of studying this section feels a little bit like watching a medical show where you become anxious that you could possibly have every malady they discuss. As I’ve been studying these diseases I find myself thinking “Have I seen that in my hives?”. In fact, I did a short hive inspection this morning and had my eyes peeled for today’s subject which is American Foulbrood.

American Foulbrood feels like probably the worst thing you could have in your hive. By the time you actually SEE American Foulbrood in your hive, it’s too late. You have to burn the hive, the bees and all of the equipment. There’s no getting over it. Certainly something you want to avoid.

Spotty Brood Pattern:
When you see a spotty brood pattern, consider American Foulbrood. That’s the first sign. Of course it could also be just a failing queen or something similarly fixable. Do keep your eyes out for the rest of the signs.

Sunken Cap:
American Foul Brood kills the larve under the cap. After the larve dies, the cap sinks in.

Greasy Looking Cap:
The cap over affected cells also can develop a greasy sheen.

Perforated Cap:
After the larve dies, the cap sinks and looks greasy, the nurse bees try to take care of the mess and poke holes in the cap to try to clean out the cell. Don’t be worried when you see a hole in a cap caused by a bee being born. That’s different.

Once you spotted the signs listed above there are a couple of more steps you can take to verify the presence of American Foul Brood. (Of course, to definatively diagnose requires a lab test.) For one thing, you can stick a match stick into a sunken cell and draw out the liquified larve inside. If it makes a string (a rope) of at least 1/8 inch when you pull it out, that suggests American Foul Brood. Then you should look for “scale”. Scale is the dark dried larve after it has sunk to the bottom of the cell. Remember that looking into the bottom of the cell when the frame is upright means you should hold the frame by the top bar and look across the foundation.

Here are some helpful links that include photographs and videos for further information on American Foulbrood.

Bee Informed Article on American Foulbrood
Michigan State University Article on American Foulbrood
Texas A&M Article on American Foulbrood (Great video, too.)

Successfully Introducing New Chickens To Your Flock – Or, Not.

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Cathi with one of the new chickens
This was the new little white chicken. Such a sweet girl.

Introducing new chickens is not my favorite thing about having chickens. They’re SO MEAN to each other. It’s so hard to watch! Unfortunately I’ve had several rounds of introducing new birds because I’ve also had several rounds of my new girls getting gotten by predators. Is the predator activity related to how well the new girls were introduced? I think maybe so.

For instance, the first three red girls I got refused to ever coop up in the hen house at night. They made a habit of roosting on a roosting bar that is down in the covered run. Generally, this would be okay. And it was. Until one of the nights after I returned home from Africa and was so jet lagged that I fell asleep at 7pm and failed to close up the run. That night a predator was able to get the girls on the roost in the run, but the girls in the hen house were safe.

After that I installed an automatic door that runs on a light sensor. The door automatically opens in the morning and closes at night. Shortly after I got the automatic door, I also got three new birds.

These birds were all different breeds. As it turned out, these three were younger than I am used to getting. I held them out separate for a couple of weeks to let them get older and bigger before I subjected them to the existing flock. Finally I did introduce them and one by one they got picked off by predators. As it turns out, introducing new birds and counting on them to deal with the automatic door was a recipe for disaster.

So. Now I have decided to add to the flock again. This time just two new birds. A good reliable big red bird, and a slightly smaller girl who I believe is a Leghorn.

I’m committed to making sure they get throughly integrated into the existing flock. Here’s a day by day rundown of what I’ve done.

Saturday: We started the day by putting the chicken fencing back up. I had taken it down and put it away because the owner of the land needed it mowed. So, first order of business was creating an enclosed space for the flock so that a) the new girls couldn’t get lost and b) the existing girls would HAVE to deal with the new girls and not just stay away from them.

Then I went and got the new girls and originally I put them within a baby play yard that I have just for this purpose. I gave them shade, food and water and went to a birthday dinner for a friend. After dinner my husband and I came back to the pasture and what did I find? Not a single bird had gone into the coop before the automatic door had closed. This is VERY unusual. The four existing birds are as reliable as the sunrise cooping up. But, there they were. Not in the coop. So, we went around scooping up all six birds and putting them in the coop. Part of the issue for the existing girls may have been that I cleaned and moved the coop before I went and picked up the new ones. This of course moved where the door was. But, I do move it every couple of weeks. It is a chicken tractor. They’re used to it moving. But, moving and new girls all at one time was too much evidently.

Sunday: Checked on them before church and they seemed to be fine. The automatic door had opened and peace reigned supreme although they weren’t really hanging out together. I went back about 8:15pm to oversee the cooping up process since it had gone so far off the rails the night before. The small white new girl has discovered that I will protect her from getting picked on by the existing girls, so I held her until right before the door closed, then I tossed her in. Once she was in she marched right up the ladder and tucked herself in with the existing birds. The new big red one stayed neslted in in the closed run. Safe enough, but I still want her to be up in the coop.

Monday: Didn’t see them until after work. The little white bird was all about visiting with me again. When it came time to coop up, the original four did fine. The new red one nestled in over by the baby gate that is still up rather than going into the coop at all. I went and got her and moved her into the coop. The white bird I had to toss into the run at the last moment while the automatic door is closing. She just doesn’t like to leave me. Once she was in the run she finally got up on the roosting bar. From the roosting bar she could see into the hen house and all of the sudden she took flight and flew right into the door. I heard momentary struggle, then peace. The big red bird just nestled in on the ground of the enclosed run, not even up on the roosting bar. That bird does not have the hang of going to bed like a regular chicken!

Tuesday: Once a month I have an informal dinner party and that was tonight. So, I didn’t make it out to the pasture until about an hour after it got dark. I found all of the exising girls cooped up properly, and the two new girls out of the run entirely trying to sleep just exposed in the pasture. I picked up the new girls and put them in the hen house. *sigh*

Wednesday: There were storms in the area. I went out to the pasture about 30 minutes before sunset and after a couple of minutes all four existing girls happened to be in the run, so I hit the close button on the door to close it early. Then I just caught the two new birds and put them in the henhouse. No idea how they may have cooped up or not if I had let it happen naturally, but I didn’t want to get caught in the rain. They’ll get it eventually, right?

Thursday: When I got to the pasture, the two new girls were already in the hen house. That was suprising. Before the door closed, all of the existing flock had gone into the covered run. Before I left, all six chickens were in the hen house safe and sound for the night. VICTORY! I don’t trust them yet though. I’ll keep watching them for a while yet.

Friday: Didn’t go until after I attended Friday night service. All of the existing hens and the new red one cooped up just fine. I had to put the white one in.

Saturday: Didn’t go until well after sundown so that I could see how they would do without the disruption of me being there. I got there and found the original four, plus the red one all cooped up. The little white one had wedged herself between the wheel and the wall of the run. She was absolutely stuck. So, I had to crawl in there…and under the henhouse where she was (ick), take off the wheel and let her free. She slept on the ground in the secure run that night.

Sunday: I went to the pasture at 10am to do a hive inspection. As I got out of my car I saw a large bird, probably a white tail hawk, flying away from the pasture. I thought to myself “I sure am glad I’m here to scare off that hawk!”. As it turns out, that hawk had already done his damage to my flock. The new red bird and my sweet little white buddy were gone. I didn’t find remains anywhere which points to an airborne predator.

So, I’m about to leave on family vacation. When I get back I am building a new chicken tractor and putting four new birds in it. I guess my existing four birds are freaks of nature that just have a sense about how to get away from predators and I can’t expect that from any other birds. I’ll create a nice safe place that the new girls will just be in all the time and I’ll move the tractor around, and the existing birds will use the existing coop like they do now.

Being a Good Bee Neighbor

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Enthusiastic beekeeper doing a hive inspection
Me During Hive Inspections.  I Do Love Being In The Bees

A couple of weeks ago I got the call that I constantly dread. A call from one of the residents who live near where I keep my bees.

My bees are on land zoned agricultural, but there are homes around two sides of the perimeter of the pasture. I have been very proactive about doing everything possible to maintain good relations with the people around my beeyard. Many of the neighbors have my cell number. Also, the business that owns and is located on the land is obviously easy to contact by anyone in the area. They don’t give out my cell number, but they call me and pass along the caller’s number and I call them. I am also careful to follow all of the city ordinances in my town regarding the keeping of bees.

My bees are very visible near an intersection in our town so everyone knows they are there. People do get very stressed out about bees. The thing is, there are bees everywhere. But usually it’s a case of “out of sight out of mind”. When they can see my hives, people get very jumpy. If I had it to do over again I would probably place them somehow where they weren’t so visible. But they are where they are.

Anyway. So I get a call from a Bee Neighbor. He was understandably upset because bees were bothering some guests in his beautiful back yard that had clearly been designed for hospitality and entertaining. He expressed that he really didn’t think it was a good idea for me to have my bees where I have them which of course breaks my heart. I’ve gotten complaints before but no one has suggested that they would force the idea of moving the hives.

As I thought about the situation it occurred to me that I had just done a hive inspection a couple of hours before he called. In fact, one of the things I said to him was “Hmmmmm, I just did a hive inspection and everyone seemed fine….”. What I now suspect is that the girls got grouchy from me poking around in the hives and they were taking it out on my neighbor and his friends. So, I pondered solutions and came up with this. I decided that I would work with my neighbor to figure out when he would be entertaining in his yard so that I could time my inspections accordingly. This week, that looked like me doing hive inspections Monday morning before work. Traditional wisdom says that hive inspections are best done during the middle of the day when the most bees are out foraging. But, I have noticed recently that when I’m out checking my gardens in the morning there are plenty of bees in the cucumbers. So, morning inspection here we come!

Only time will tell if this will improve Bee Neighbor relations long term. I’ll let you know! I’d also love to know any tips you have used for good relations with your bees.