Feed 2 gallons of medicated syrup per colony. Dissolve one half (1/2) rounded tablespoon of Fumagilin-B in about 2 oz. of water then mix this into 1 gallon of 2:1 sugar syrup. Mix this thoroughly.
Fumagillin is a potent fungal metabolite first isolated from Aspergillus fumigatus. It is widely used in apiculture and human medicine against a variety of microsporidian fungal infections. It has been the subject of research in cancer treatments by employing its angiogenesis inhibitory properties.
Use 4.5g Fumagilin-B per gallon of heavy syrup (for small quantities, a rounded tsp per gallon is close enough). Fumagilin-B will dissolve in room temperature water or syrup, but is most easily dissolved in warm (95 -122°F) water before adding the sugar.
General symptoms associated with Nosema disease such as dysentery, reduced brood production, reduced honey production, or population declines could be confused with other factors affecting honey bee colonies, such as lack of pollen or nectar, inappropriate pesticide use or various other pests or diseases.
Nosema is a serious disease of adult European honey bees including queen bees. In some years, nosema may cause serious losses of adult bees and colonies in autumn and spring. The disease is caused by the spore forming microsporidian — Nosema apis. Spores of this organism can only be seen using a light microscope.
Bee diseases
- Varroa destructor.
- Small Hive Beetle.
- Brood diseases: American foulbrood (AFB), European foulbrood (EFB) and Chalkbrood.
- Viruses: Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) and Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus (CBPV)
- Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae.
- Tropilaelaps mite.
- Acarapis mite.
- Amoebic diseases.
Nosema, identified as a fungus--a micro-sporidian--is a widespread disease of honey bees. “Bee droppings have a very distinctive smell, an acidic smell,” Cobey said.
Spores of nosema can survive more than one year on the combs. If you do not disinfect combs, the spores spread in other hives and infect the colonies. Combs from infected colonies can be disinfected for reuse by fumigation with 60-80% acetic acid vapour. The acid vapours kill the nosema spores within a week.
The only known reliable treatment for Nosema in honey bees is the antibiotic fumagillin, which is derived from Aspergillus fumigatus and has been widely used to treat colonies infected with N. apis since the 1950s [8,9].
The disease affects the gut of the bee, reducing its ability to absorb nutrients and therefore significantly shortening its life. It's contagious and is spread to other bees through contaminated feces.
From the evidence at hand it appears that dextrin cannot be digested by bees and, whether or not this is the explanation, honeydew honey causes a rapid accumulation of feces which usually results in the condition known as dysentery, in bad cases of which the feces are voided in the hive.
