Nosema
is caused by the
protozoan,
Nosema Apis that
lives in the mid-gut of the adult bee.
Indications usually are defecation on the front
of the hive and inside the hive. Sometimes the
bees will crawl in the grass in front of the
hive because they are unable to fly. If the day
is warm but the weather cools early in the day
they will die there as they are unable to get
back into the hive. In it's more developed state
it is characterized by bees with distended
abdomens, disjointed wings, absence of sting
reflex and reduced life span. Treatment is
Fumidil-B in 1/1 sugar syrup. Usually one
gallon is sufficient if fed in the spring. Two
gallons are required for fall treatment in 2/1
sugar syrup. If fed in the fall Nosema usually
won't appear in colonies in the springtime.
Beekeepers sometimes confuse Nosema disease with
other adult honey bee maladies such as pesticide
poisoning and dysentery. The effects of some
pesticide poisoning can include any of a number
of traits common to Nosema disease due to the
way that certain pesticides work. Dysentery is
caused by bees being unable to retain waste
products within their bodies during long periods
of confinement within a hive. This is sometimes
due to poor quality of food stores but most
frequently due to the unavailability of suitable
conditions for cleansing flights. While
dysentery is mostly a wintering disorder
characterized by defecation within the hive,
Nosema disease peaks during the springtime and
is usually marked by defecation around the hive
entrance.
