Apidologie

, Volume 45, Issue 5, pp 568–578 | Cite as

In vitro evaluation of sugar syrups, antibiotics, and miticides on growth of honey bee pathogen, Ascosphaera apis: Emphasis for chalkbrood prevention is on keeping bees healthy

  • Jay A. Yoder
  • Andrew J. Jajack
  • William S. Cornacchione
  • Allison L. Dunn
  • Edward G. Cunningham
  • Caroline L. Matchett
  • Andrew E. Rosselot
Original article
First Online:
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:

Abstract

To examine the link between chalkbrood and treatments applied to honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies, growth of Ascosphaera apis was determined under chalkbrood-inducing conditions on agar containing crushed bee larvae as a mock infection. Treatments were tested at concentrations in the field, representative of beekeeping practice (at least in the USA). A chilling or warming stress known to heighten chalkbrood caused no growth enhancement of A. apis. Miticides had a negative effect; formic acid killed A. apis and oxalic acid reduced growth by 70 %. High-fructose corn syrups and sucrose syrup undiluted, a 50:50 mixture, alone, and with antibiotics did not alter growth of A. apis. We conclude that chalkbrood does not develop from a temperature- or treatment-induced activation of A. apis. Sugar syrups, miticides, and antibiotics point out other health problems that make bees prone to infection by A. apis. Thus, chalkbrood opportunistically infects bees under other forms of stress.

Keywords

bee colony mycosis formic acid oxalic acid high-fructose corn syrup antibiotics 
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Notes

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank Diana Sammataro (Carl Hayden Honey Bee Research Center, Tucson, Arizona) for her helpful comments on an earlier draft of this article. Support for this project was made possible by a Wittenberg University Research Grant to AJJ and CLM from funding provided by James R. Wymer.

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Copyright information

© INRA, DIB and Springer-Verlag France 2014

Authors and Affiliations

  • Jay A. Yoder
    • 1
  • Andrew J. Jajack
    • 1
  • William S. Cornacchione
    • 1
  • Allison L. Dunn
    • 1
  • Edward G. Cunningham
    • 1
  • Caroline L. Matchett
    • 1
  • Andrew E. Rosselot
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of BiologyWittenberg UniversitySpringfieldUSA

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