Evolution & Behavior Honey bees are extremely important pollinators. Understanding the way bees manage infections can help us protect them. Honey bees are important pollinators. However, like us, they can become hosts to many pathogens. As a social species living in enormous colonies, honey bees have evolved many behavioral defenses to deal with disease, for […]

Learn to identify American foulbrood in 90 seconds View of frame with American Foul Brood. American Foul Brood (AFB) is caused by Paenibacillus (=Bacillus) larvae, a spore-forming bacterium. Bacillus is a genus of gram-positive, rod-snapped bacteria and a member of the phylum firmicutes. Bacillus species can be obligate aerobes (requiring oxygen). Bacillus and related endoscope […]

Life Cycle of the Honey Bee and Varroa Destructor Mite In the past thirty years an evolution occurred with Complete Colony Collapse (CCD). Beekeepers, bee biologists and many others struggled to pin point the cause. One of the main pests was the Varroa Destructor Mite. Varroa are ectoparasites that feed on the fatty tissue of […]