This multi-touch book has been enhanced with video content and interactive features, and can only be read on an Apple tablet or computer. Please note the file size.
The aim of this book is to provide bee-keepers with a guide to the common pests and diseases of bees.
Healthy Bees covers seasonal factors that affect the health of the colony, nutrition, non-infectious disorders, diseases, exotic pests, and strategies to prevent them.
Clear photographs to help you recognise and identify pests and diseases, and video demonstrations of collecting samples from your hive.
This format has been enhanced with video content and interactive features, and can only be read on an Apple tablet. Please note the file size.
AUTHORS
Doug Somerville is employed by the NSW Department of Primary Industries as a Technical Specialist for Honey Bees. He has over 25 years experience assisting bee keepers and honey producers with
• best management practices in keeping honey bees;
• seasonal management enquiries;
• disease/pest management processes;
• starting out in bees;
• progressing from an amateur beekeeper to a business in keeping bees.
Doug Somerville has beekeeping experience in the United Kingdom and Canada and has been a guest speaker at several international conferences. He also manages over 100 hives himself for research, honey production and pollination.
Jennifer Laffan has written many publications and training resources for the NSW Department of Primary Industries, including others in the AgSkills series.
CHAPTERS
Acknowledgements
Introduction
CHAPTER 1: The honey bee
– Introduction
– Lifecycle of the honey bee
– Castes of bees and their roles in the colony
– Genetics
– Inbreeding
– Sex hormones in the hive
CHAPTER 2: Colony size
– Introduction
– Colony size varies with seasons
– Nectar flow and brood rearing
– Managing bees in winter
– Managing bees in spring
CHAPTER 3: Nutrition
– Food for bees
– Plants as poisons
CHAPTER 4: Effects of seasons and location
– Seasons
– Location
CHAPTER 5: Disease and disorder
– Health of bees is important
– Non-infectious disorders
– Causes of disease
CHAPTER 6: Strategies to prevent disease
– Be alert
– Inspect the hive
– Comb replacement program
– Barrier system
– Best practice
CHAPTER 7: Diseases of the honey bee brood
– American foulbrood
– European foulbrood
– Chalkbrood
– Sacbrood
– Kashmir bee virus
– Black queen cell virus
– Prepare a larval smear for diagnosis
CHAPTER 8: Diseases of adult honey bees
– Nosema disease
– Chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV)
CHAPTER 9: Hive pests
– Small hive beetle (SHB)
– Wax moth
– Other pests
CHAPTER 10: Exotic pests
– Varroa mite
– Sugar shaking to detect external parasites
– Tracheal mite
– Tropilaelaps mite
– Predatory hornets
CHAPTER 11: Surveillance and response to exotic pests and disease
– Surveillance
– Response to surveillance alert
CHAPTER 12: Honey bees and the law
– Introduction
– Beekeeper registration
– Abandoned or neglected hives
– The legal requirement to notify
Appendix:
– Glossary
– Publishing credits
– Copyright
– Further reading
– AgGuide Books
