The prophylaxis of major bacterial infections in the Apis mellifera carpathica bee through honey, pollen and bee bread control

Abstract

For the purpose of controlling the evolution of major bacterial diseases in bees, which decimate bee colonies in Europe and Romania, respectively, we examined samples (honey, pollen and honeycombs) in the apicultural year 2016, from all over Romania. Sample collection and testing were done with the purpose to prevent the contamination of bee colonies with the etiological agents of major bacterial diseases, considering that worker bees and the food entering the hive (honey, pollen) represent the main contamination ways. The diagnosis method observed OIE regulations (2008) and was adapted in an original way in the Bee Pathology Laboratory in Bucharest. A total of 73 samples were examined, representing honey (51), honeycombs (6) and pollen/bee bread (16), from private apiaries all over the country, that presented depopulation without clinical evolution of contagious diseases in bees, and in which we diagnosed the presence of etiological agents of major bacterial bee diseases (36.98 %), while the rest of the samples were negative (63.02%). Of the 51 samples of honey that were examined, we identified 39.22% positive samples and 60.78% negative ones. Of the pollen samples that were examined, 31.25% were positive and 68.75% were negative, and the honeycombs samples showed 33.33% positive and 66.66% negative. Previous researches indicated that the positive samples (honey, pollen, bee bread), from apiaries in all the regions of the country, represented the basis for the prophylaxis of major bacterial diseases so that, by avoiding using them in bee nutrition, the evolution of major bee diseases did not confirm clinically or paraclinically in the following season (January-April 2017).