Symptoms and Control of Bee Paralysis

Symptoms and Control of Bee Paralysis
Bee paralysis is an infectious disease in adult bees caused by the paralysis virus. Also known as black bee disease or paralysis disease, it spreads quickly, has severe symptoms, and is difficult to treat. It poses a significant threat, leading to substantial honey production losses or even massive bee deaths if not promptly controlled. Let's take a look at the symptoms and control methods for bee paralysis.

I. Pathogen
The pathogen of bee paralysis is the paralysis virus, first isolated in 1963. There are four types of oval-shaped virus particles with different lengths, all having a diameter of 22 nanometers and lengths of 30 nanometers, 40 nanometers, 55 nanometers, and 65 nanometers. The nucleic acid is single-stranded RNA. Under natural conditions, virus particles can enter the bee's body through pores in the exoskeleton that have been damaged or through the respiratory system.

II. Symptoms
Infected bees exhibit paralysis and spasms due to direct damage to nerve cells by the virus. They move slowly, their bodies constantly twitch and tremble, they lose their ability to fly, and their wings and legs spread out. They weakly vibrate their wings and crawl feebly. Some bees have swollen abdomens, while others are emaciated and are often expelled from the hive by healthy bees. In the late stages, their bodies turn black, lose hair, and the abdomen shrinks, appearing as if they have been fried.

III. Occurrence Pattern
The paralysis virus spreads to healthy bee colonies through activities such as nest building, changing combs, and using infected colonies for queen rearing. Excessive rain, high humidity in the hive, prolonged drought, or dry climate can all lead to outbreaks. Healthy bees can also contract the disease through contact with infected bees or consuming contaminated feed. During the season when paralysis is prevalent, if a few colonies in an apiary are infected, a single instance of robbing can quickly spread the disease throughout the entire apiary.

IV. Control Methods
Replacing the Queen: Replacing the queen is an effective measure to treat bee paralysis. Additionally, introducing new genetic lines from different locations to avoid long-term inbreeding is an effective method to prevent the disease.
Medication: Bee paralysis can be treated by feeding a 4% thymol powder solution. Mix 12 grams of thymol powder per liter of 50% sugar water, and feed 250 milliliters per colony, every other day for five treatments. Stop usage during honey production periods.
Spraying with Medication: For spraying, mix 200,000 units of either neomycin or chlortetracycline with 1 kilogram of sugar syrup, then spray onto the combs. Spray every two days for 2-3 consecutive treatments.