Unit 1 - Bees

Question 1

True or False: VFDs are required for medications that go into honeybee feed.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

What is the worst pathogen for the honeybee population?

Answer 2

The varroa mite - Varroa destructans

Question 3

What does the varroa mite feed on?

Answer 3

fat body

Question 4

What is fat body (in the bee)?

Answer 4

It is analogous to liver tissue that is dispersed in various locations around the bee

Question 5

In addition to the varroa mite feeding on the fat body, why else is it bad for bees?

Answer 5

It also transmits several bee viruses

Question 6

What synthetic chemicals can be used to control varroa mites?

Answer 6

Pyrethroid insecticides, organophoshphate insecticides, and Manley’s thymol crystal

Question 7

What naturally occuring chemicals can be used to control varroa mites?

Answer 7

Formic acid, essential oils, sugar esters, oxalic acid, mineral oil, and natural hops compounds

Question 8

How are varroa mites controlled?

Answer 8

By breeding mite resistant bees or using mite screens raised slightly off of the bottom of the hive

Question 9

What is the honeybee tracheal mite?

Answer 9

Acarapis woodi

Question 10

What is the life cycle of the honeybee tracheal mite?

Answer 10

The females mate and leave their host bee to look for a young bee to infest

Question 11

What do honey bee tracheal mites feed on?

Answer 11

Bee hemolymph

Question 12

Where are honeybee tracheal mites more common?

Answer 12

In cooler climates because it allows for bettwe spread

Question 13

True or False: Once honeybee tracheal mites have infested a hive, the colony will remain infested

Answer 13

True

Question 14

How do you control honeybee tracheal mites?

Answer 14

Genetically resistant strains of bees can be purchased, oil extender patties, and thymol gel or formic acid

Question 15

What causes American Foulbrood?

Answer 15

Paenibacillus larvae a sporeforming gram positive bacillus

Question 16

What does American Foulbrood infect?

Answer 16

The larvae of workers, queens, and drones

Question 17

How are American Foulbrood infections treated?

Answer 17

Tylocin and Lincomycin

Question 18

True or False: A VFD is NOT needed for American Foulbrood treatment?

Answer 18

False

Question 19

What causes European Foulbrood?

Answer 19

Melissococcus pluton (does not form spores)

Question 20

What type of disease is European Foulbrood considered?

Answer 20

A stress disease

Question 21

Where does European Foulbrood multiply?

Answer 21

In the larval gut

Question 22

How is European Foulbrood treated?

Answer 22

Tylocin and Lincomycin

Question 23

What causes Chalkbrood?

Answer 23

Ascophaera apis (a fungus)

Question 24

What weather is chalkbrood worse in?

Answer 24

cooler weather

Question 25

How is chalkbrood spread?

Answer 25

Spores are ingested by larvae and then germinate in the hind gut

Question 26

What is the pathogenesis of chalkbrood?

Answer 26

When larvae are 6-7 days old and sealed in their cells the mycelia break through the gut wall and the entire larva is overgrown within 2-3 days

Question 27

True or False: Adult bees can detect chalkbrood infected larvae.

Answer 27

True

Question 28

What causes Nosema?

Answer 28

Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae which are sporeforming protozoans

Question 29

Where does nosema invate?

Answer 29

The digestive tract of adult honeybees

Question 30

Where does nosema multiply?

Answer 30

In the lining of the midgut

Question 31

Where is nosema shed?

Answer 31

In the feces - spores

Question 32

How is nosema treated?

Answer 32

with fumagillin in sugar syrup

Question 33

How is nosema prevented?

Answer 33

Maintain good hive nutrition