How To Diagnose Beehive Diseases Early ?

All Professional  beekeepers inspect their beehives and colonies regularly for diseases & pests that can pose a threat to their colonies and they don't just assume that the drop in honey production or a decline in bee population is attributed to the above factors only.

Nutritional deficiency and Pesticides can be other contributing reasons, so it's essential that sufficient knowledge is attained to be able to differentiate which is what and how to deal with it.

The bee's lifecycle can be divided into two phases which is the larval phase and the adult phase and each phase is susceptible to its own set diseases

Bees Diseases :

(1) European Foul Brood  :

Is caused by : bacterium melissococcus plutonius

the bacteria feeds on food that's in the gut of the larval starving it to death.

The disease can be detected by unnatural position of the larval and color changes, which is from the pearly white (this indicates health) to a creamy or brown color.

(2) American Foul Brood  :

Is caused by : spore forming bacterium larvae, whereby the brood food is contaminated.

Once contaminated they develop into a bacterium that penetrates the gut wall then multiply within the tissues of the larval causing the larvae to die from blood poisoning.

It affects the bee larvae only but highly contagious and deadly to the brood.

(3) Nosema  :

Is caused by  Nosima Apis  that is a spore forming protozoa, it able to multiply in the bees stomach, causing digestion of pollen to be impaired, the end result is dead bees.

Symptoms  :

The most notable symptom is dysentery. This appears as yellow stripes on the outside of the hive and in severe cases, inside the hive. Bees may be unable to fly ("crawling") due to disjointed wings.

(4) Chalk Brood :

Is caused by  : the fungus Ascosphaera apis.

the fungus Ascosphaera apis infests the gut of the larva.

The fungus will compete with the larva for food, ultimately causing it to starve.

The fungus will then go on to consume the rest of the larva's body, causing it to appear white and 'chalky'.

This kind of disease is common with expanding colonies and it's still unclear what causes but it can be attributed to high Carbon dioxide levels in the nest if it's not properly ventilated or pollen deficiencies.

Chalkbrood is most commonly visible during wet springs.

Hives with Chalkbrood can generally be recovered by increasing the ventilation through the hive.

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Cell Phone Kills Bees

While we are talking in our cell phones and feel that these phones are very useful and very important in our daily life,  there is some evidence that cell phone radiation can be dangerous for people, as well as bees.

Studies have found that the 

electromagnetic radiations coming from cell phones, can heat and damage tissues, as well as possibly cause other diseases for people in the long term, including cancer, brain tumors, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and more.

People are not the only beings that are affected by cell phones, however. Some evidence has found that the radiation that comes from cell phones can also kill bees, causing many problems in the environment .

Honeybees pollinate crops and other plants, which helps vegetables and fruit to grow and it allows the plants to do their job replenishing the oxygen in the air.

What are the mobile radiation effects on the bees?

Studies have suggested that the electromagnetic radiation affects the internal navigation system of the bee, causing it to not be able to return to the hive.

  

The bees then die off, because they are not able to do their normal activities.

This premature dying off of the bees causes the fruits and vegetables to not grow as normal, simply because pollination does not occur. This affects the harvest, which can have a significant impact upon the world's food stores now and in the future.

Mobile radiation effects can include loss of food crops and can decrease the food for animals that are used for meat, including cows, chickens, and more.

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Bees and Their Effect on Us and Our Environment

Bees play a very important role in the world food supply. These small and incredibly busy insects are responsible for the way that we are able to get food and keep it.

Pollination is fundamental to sexual production in plants, Pollination is therefore essential for agriculture and environmental management, and a variety of pollinators are required to maintain reproduction across a broad spectrum of plant species.

Bees have such close relationships or connections with certain plants that if this connection or relation was to be broken, those plants would become extinct.

Recent years have brought dramatic decline to the bee population; this decline can be attributed to intensive methods of farming where the increased use of pesticides pollutes the plants that provide food for the bees.

There are other issues that contribute to this pandemic, like cooler wet summer seasons and increased cold winters or in other are very hot summer seasons.

Other problems includes the parasite known as the Varroa mite, it weakens the bee's immune system.This exposes the bees to attacks from other diseases, should a colony become contaminated by mites it's imperative that the problem is treated immediately to avoid the colony being wiped out.

The other challenges that bees face are Genetically Modified crops and extreme weather patterns caused by climate change.

What is the solutions  of these problems facing bees ?

1-     Getting rid of deadly chemical pesticides.

2-     Growing a lot of plants that have nectar rich flowers.

Finally I'd like to urge everyone who's passionate about nature to set up beehives in gardens and start taking care of them.

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Bee Pollen-- The Amazing Health Benefits

Bee pollen is Produced by flowering plants, pollen granules stick to the bees' legs and other parts as they go about their business of gathering nectar and are collected from bees as they enter the hive.

Bee pollen contains all of the nutrients needed to sustain life. It is rich in vitamins and contains almost all known minerals, trace elements, enzymes, and amino acids.

More specifically, it contains 35% protein, 55% carbohydrates, 2% fatty acids, and 3% minerals and vitamins. It has been noted to have a high concentration of vitamins A, C, D, and E, and it is extraordinary rich in the B-complex vitamins.

In addition, bee pollen has antioxidant properties.

However, bee pollen's composition may vary depending on plant sources and geographic region.

What's the buzz about the health benefits of bee pollen?

Bee pollen is used as an energy booster as well as one that can increase vitality due to its B vitamin content. The B complex vitamins are well renowned for their ability to help combat stress and boost energy levels. In fact, some experts refer to the B vitamins as the stress or energy vitamins.

Bee pollen is also used to boost immunity and, as such, people who are susceptible to colds or upper respiratory tract infections may find bee pollen helpful.

Bee pollen is also used in detoxifying and strengthens the immune system.

In recent years, Chinese researchers indicated that bee pollen inhibits benign prostate overgrowth, slows the aging process, and lowers cholesterol and other lipids. This indication came from reported results of animal studies.

Bee pollen also contains lecithin. Lecithin is a substance that helps flush fat from the body and it stimulates the metabolic processes and, as such, it increases the speed at which calories are burned. Therefore, bee pollen may possibly be helpful as a weight-loss aid.

Bee pollen is certainly a superstar with its rich energizing nutrition content and, as such, it's a good source for promoting vibrant health and for health maintenance such as correcting deficient or unbalanced nutrition.

Precautions Of Bee Pollen Supplements:

People who are allergic to bee stings should not use bee pollen or any other supplements derived from bees because it could cause an allergic reaction.

One should discontinue use immediately if any symptoms develop like wheezing, headache, itchy throat, hives, or skin flushing.

If you are pregnant or nursing, consult your health care professional before using bee pollen.

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Raising Queen Bees - a profitable project

Queen bees are the most important member in the bee colony.
Raising queen bees needs your full attention as you are raising very delicate creatures.

Beginners in beekeeping can buy their bees in different forms depending on their budget, their experience, and how much time they are able to dedicate to their project.
 
Raising queen bees is more difficult than raising a colony.


Queen bees need more attention and experience as you must separate any queen that appears from the colony to start forming a new colony.
 
If you want to see your colony producing honey as soon as possible, then you need to buy a complete colony to start with.
 
The complete colony contains one queen bee, several thousands of worker bees, and some male bees for reproduction.

If you want to see your colony grow step by step in front of your eyes, then you need to buy a smaller colony that contains only few thousands of worker bees.


You have to wait some time for your young colony to grow.


You will need to nourish them and provide them with the needed care to grow and start producing honey regularly.

By separating any new queen bee appears in each colony, then you can have many queen bees that are ready for making new bee colonies.

It is a profitable project to raise queen bees and sell them to other bee keepers.

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Bee Pollen or Bee Bread

What is Bee Pollen?

Bee pollen contains trace amounts of minerals and vitamins and is very high in protein and carbohydrates.

Bee pollen is not found in the everyday diet. It is found in nutritional supplements and Chinese herbal medicine products.
 
Bee Pollen is consisting of pollen that has been packed by worker honeybees into granules, with added honey or nectar, and is used in naturopathic medicine traditions as a nutritional supplement, although exposure may trigger allergic or anaphylactic reactions in sensitive people.
 
Why Do People Use Bee Pollen?
 
Bee pollen has been used to enhance energy, memory and performance, although there is no scientific evidence that it does.
 
The benefits of bee pollen and allergy treatment is that it has been known to strengthen the respiratory system, is a supply of protein that aids the body in building a natural defense against allergic reactions, so Bee pollen is taken to treat some diseases by reducing the production of histamine, which causes allergic reactions in the body such as the common reaction of hay fever.
 
Some people believe that ingesting pollens will help to build resistance to them, although it is possible to have a severe allergic reaction to these pollens.
 
Bee Pollen Possible Side Effects and Contraindications :
-Bee pollen should not be taken if you have had prior reactions to bee stings or bee pollen. In some cases, anaphylactic shock has been reported.

If you have a history of any kind of anaphylactic shock from any allergic reaction, bee pollen and allergy treatment may not be the correct course of therapy for you.

Also Bee pollen contains allergens that may interact adversely with asthma.
 
These all adverse reactions occurred with small amounts of bee pollen, less than one teaspoon.

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The Buzz About Using Bee Venom In Alternative Apitherapy

Apitherapy, coming from the Latin word for bee, focuses on the medical use of various bee products to cure a myriad of health problems
The treatment use of honey bee venom therapy is based on the long-known fact that

 bee-keepers    ( who often get stung ) very rarely develop arthritis or problems with their joints and muscles

Apitoxin, or honey bee venom, is a bitter colorless liquid.

The active portion of the venom is a complex mixture of proteins, which causes local inflammation and acts as an anticoagulant.

The venom is produced in the abdomen of worker bees from a mixture of acidic and basic secretions.


Apitoxin is acidic (pH 4.5 to 5.5).
A honeybee can inject 0.1 mg of venom via its stinger. It is estimated that 1% of the population is allergic to bee stings. Apitoxin can be deactivated with ethanol.

Bee venom therapy is used by some as a treatment for rheumatism and joint diseases due to its anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory properties. It is also used to desensitize people allergic to insect stings.

Bee venom therapy can also be delivered in the form of Bee Venom Balm although this may be less potent than using live bee stings.

Bee venom contains many different active chemical compounds. Melittin is the main one and is a very potent anti-inflammatory agent. Other chemicals in the venom act as painkillers and alter nerve pathway transmissions.

Bee venom therapy enthusiasts have used it for arthritis, for other inflammatory conditions and for the treatment of chronic scar tissue. Recent experiments have begun with some chronic multiple sclerosis (MS)

How It Works ?
 
Bee Venom Therapy (BVT) is administered in a rather straightforward fashion: 

the patient gets bee venom injected directly into his or her body by either using a needle, inserting the bee's stinger into their flesh, or letting a live bee sting them. A licensed doctor must administer the injections.

Usually, the patient receives anywhere from two to five stings each session, although for certain conditions people receive 20 stings at one time or more.
 
The bees will usually be contained in a special jar, box or hive, and will be placed directly on the area that needs to be treated.

Alternatively, you can buy a box of bees yourself from an apitherapist, or bee farmer, and let them sting you.


All you need is a pair of special tweezers and the guts to place a bee on your flesh and let it do its duty. It is recommended to wait from three to five minutes before removing the stinger.

It is important to check for allergies before trying any of bee products . People who are allergic to bees, suffer from asthma or have a compromised immune system should avoid bee products altogether...

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