ABSTRACT
Honeybee colony collapse is a sanitary and ecological worldwide problem. The features of this syndrome are an unexplained disappearance of adult bees, a lack of brood attention, reduced colony strength, and heavy winter mortality without any previous evident pathological disturbances. To date there has not been a consensus about its origins. This report describes the clinical features of two professional bee-keepers affecting by this syndrome. Anamnesis, clinical examination and analyses support that the depopulation in both cases was due to the infection by Nosema ceranae (Microsporidia), an emerging pathogen of Apis mellifera. No other significant pathogens or pesticides (neonicotinoids) were detected and the bees had not been foraging in corn or sunflower crops. The treatment with fumagillin avoided the loss of surviving weak colonies. This is the first case report of honeybee colony collapse due to N. ceranae in professional apiaries in field conditions reported worldwide.
E-mail mhiges@jccm.es; Tel. (+34) 949 25 00 26; Fax (+34) 949 25 01 76.
MY NOTES: Some beekeepers don’t recommend using it, affects cold weather bees. http://www.beesource.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-225700.html
And there’s discussions about how to apply it: http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?p=42097o None the less, it should be noted for the record.
Plus, Dr. Eric Mussen, UC Davis, chimes in about it http://www.projectapism.org/content/view/13/27/
And, is Nosema locustae “the only protozoan registered as a pesticide active ingredient” and what research has been done with honey bees and Nosema locustae? “Nosema locustae is a naturally-occurring microbe that infects and kills grasshoppers and Mormon crickets when these pests ingest bait that contains Nosema …
