Gramacho, K.P.

DISEASE RESISTANCE IN AFRICANIZED HONEY BEES
Kátia Peres Gramacho
Instituto de Biologia -Universidade Federal da Bahia-Salvador-Bahia-Brazil
e-mail: [email protected]
During the last three decades beekeeping with Africanized Honey Bees (AHB) has been developed
vastly and today these bees have became a favorite for many beekeepers in Brazil. However, this
expansion of beekeeping with AHB has had a series of positive and negative impacts
(GONÇALVES, 1994).
One of the consequences of the expansion is the health conditions of the bees in the countries where
they are found today. It is known that the honey bees are susceptible to several diseases and bee
pests such as EFB, AFB, Nosema, Amoeba, Sacbrood, Chalkbrood, Acarine, Varroosis, Viruses etc.
The two most important diseases of honey bees are Varroosis and American Foulbrood (AFB) (DE
JONG, 1994). However, evidences of resistance of certain races of honey bees exist against certain
diseases and parasites, deserving special note the honey bees Apis cerana in Asia (PENG et al.,
1987; RATH & DRESCHER, 1999) and AHB in Brazil (MESSAGE and GONÇALVES, 1977).
For instance, in the case of Varroosis the AHB in Brazil showed a greater resistance or tolerance to
it than the races of European bees and their hybrids, what was also verified in Colombia, Costa Rica
and Mexico (TELLO-DURÁN, 1998; RAMIREZ, 2000; GUZMÁN-NOVA &
ARECHAVALETA, 2000; GUZMÁN-NOVOA et al., 2000)
According to ALVES et al., (1978) the mite Varroa jacobsoni, classified today as Varroa
destructor, according to ANDERSON & TRUEMAN (2000), was introduced into Brazilian
apiculture in the beginning of the decade of 70. This introduction was via Paraguay (MORSE &
GONÇALVES, 1979), through the importation of queens from beekeepers from this country who
already possessed colonies of bees infested with this mite, which imported queens from Japan. Few
years after the establishment of the varroa in Brazil and Paraguay, it already became a parasite of
the bees in almost all the countries of South America, and the last country to be affected was Chile,
in 1992 (MORETTO, 1998).
Brazil is a country of a vast territorial area (8,500,000 Km2) with the presence of different climates
and ecosystems, and in a period of less than ten years, the mite Varroa destructor already was
found in all the regions of the country. However, the dynamics of populations of this mite was very
different from one region to another affected by varroosis. According to GONÇALVES, 1987, and
MORETTO et al., 1991b, indexes of adult worker bees of 20% infested were registered in the south,
which caused much concern for the beekeepers and researchers, but these indexes ended up
decreasing progressively some years after the initial infestation. It appears that Africanized honey
bees have adapted to this mite (DE JONG, 1997). Nowadays, in the last collection of data
accomplished in some areas of the country, an index of infestation of 2% was found, which is
considered to be a very low level (GUERRA et al., 1995; MORETTO et al., 1995), not causing,
therefore, harmful consequences to the bees.
According to MORETTO et al., (1991a) two important mechanisms seemed to be related to the
development of varroosis plague: 1. climate conditions, and 2. the bees’ race (genotype).
Proceedings of the 37th International Apicultural Congress, 28 October – 1 November 2001, Durban, South Africa
APIMONDIA 2001
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It was demonstrated by MORETTO et al., (1991a) that under different conditions, a different varroa
population dynamics takes place when they parasitize Apis mellifera bees of the same race,
presenting better development conditions in cool climate areas than in tropical climate areas (DE
JONG et al., 1994; MORETTO et al., 1991a). Nevertheless, analyzing the mite’s performance in
different bees’ races under the same climate conditions, it is possible to notice that AHB shows a
higher resistance than the Europeans and tolerate these mites in tropical and subtropical America
(DE JONG et al., 1984; ENGELS et al., 1986; MORETTO et al., 1991b, MEDINA, 1998).
It is well known that the honey bees can detect varroa inside infested brood cells and remove them
(RATH & DRESCHER, 1990, MORETTO et al., 1991b, GUERRA et al. 1994)
The investigation of the frequency of various types of damage to the mite’s bodies found on the
bottom board of hives suggested possible attacks by the worker bees (CORRÊA-MARQUES,
1996). This frequency of damaged mites has been used as an indicator of the tolerance, or resistance
degree of honey bee colonies (CORRÊA-MARQUES et al., 2000).
This resistance of AHB is due to a series of factors, among them the high hygienic behavior (ability
to detect and to remove brood infested with the mite), high grooming behavior of these bees, the
lower reproduction rate or reproduction suppression of the mites in those bees etc. Whether such
ability to detect and remove the mite which gives larger resistance or tolerance of the AFB is due to
genetics of the bees or of the mite this still needs to be proven and more studies on the causes of
that resistance should be made. The resistance of AHB to diseases of brood in general is also little
known, although a smaller frequency of brood diseases is found in these bees in comparison with
European bees (GUERRA et al, 1994).
At the current time in Brazil beekeeping is practiced without the use of any treatments, since the
low level of infestation doesn’t require it. Moreover, Brazilian beekeepers are not used to making
preventive treatments with chemotherapy and antibiotics on the Africanized bees, as many
beekeepers from neighboring countries do. Researchers and technicians of various Brazilian
institutions have been through the last years criticizing this behavior, because it contaminates the
bee products, it increases the resistance of the disease agents to the treatment products and also
requires more money.
There are few official data concerning the impact of brood diseases, parasite diseases and predators
on our bees.
SATTLER et al., (1998) reported the presence of Chalk Brood (Aschosphaera apis) in an apiary in
the South of Brazil, and a severe depopulation of hives, with a loss of 400 hives of 1200, from the
end of fall until the beginning of spring. On the other hand, after doing a migratory beekeeping of
these hives, it was observed that a significant recuperation occurred, and also many mummies were
found at the bottom and in front of the entrance of the hives. The researchers associate this
recuperation of the hives to the climate conditions that were poor during the whole fall and winter,
as well as the hygienic behavior of the survivor worker bees. Differences in the hygienic behavior
between bee races such as Italian, Carniolan, Africanized bees (AHB) and hybrid Italian bees were
demonstrated by GRAMACHO (1995),. The AHB showed a more efficient hygienic behavior than
all of the others (P<0.05), while Carniolan bees were the least efficient in the removal of dead
brood. This can justify the inexistence of loss or damage of colonies until now, correlated with the
higher level of hygienic behavior presented by Africanized honey bees.
About EFB, this disease can occur in almost the whole country. However, this disease causes
normally no serious problems to the bees and can be controlled by only changing the susceptible
queen for a more resistant one (for example with a high hygienic behavior) and removing the combs
with lots of sick brood. The time between the removal of the old queen and the beginning of the
laying by the new one, and also the removal of the majority of the sick brood by the beekeeper, help
the worker bees to control the disease.
Considering now all bee diseases, EFB and Nosema are the two that have been causing more
problems in Brazil, at least in Northeast Brazil, but this happens because of the inefficient
management of the hives by the beekeepers. Many beekeepers normally keep their hives in
excessively humid locations, facilitating the development of these diseases (information furnished
by a technician of the University in Vitoria da Conquista- UESB-Ba).Another fact that contributes
to this situation is the insufficient number of laboratories and specialized technicians to help the
beekeepers with the diagnosis of bee diseases. However, it is important to mention that after the
introduction of the African bees in Brazil no news are available of significant losses of colonies
attacked with EFB, Nosema, Acarine or Varroosis.
Besides these diseases found in Brazil, four different viruses have been diagnosed in samples of
adults bees as the APV (Acute Paralisis Virus), BQCV (Black Queen Cell Virus), FV (Filamentous
Virus) and QWV (Cloudy Wing Virus). Also some problems with Dipteran parasite have been
reported (Melaloncha sp). In some regions there were found predatory insects and spiders, causing
loses of adult bees. (MESSAGE et al., 1996).
According to MESSAGE et al., (1996) in several laboratories of Brazil, mainly in the southeast
area, it is frequently observed a brood disease (pre-pupae) of honey bees whose symptoms are very
similar to the Sacbrood. This has been happening in the months of December to March and it has
caused the elimination of many apiaries. SANTOS & MESSAGE (1998) discovered that this
disease was caused by the pollen of a plant called “barbatimão” (Stryphnodendron polyphyllum )
and the brood disease was denominated as “Brazilian Sacbrood”. This disease has been generating
many problems for Brazilian beekeeping .
As for the disease AFB, this serious brood disease did not exist in the country until November of
2000 when few samples of honey, pollen and honeybees were diagnosed with spores of
Paenibacillus larvae in the South of Brazil, however up to now without losses of colonies. The
genetic resistance of honey bees to brood diseases was already demonstrated by several researchers
since the decade of 60. However, until now no single case of beehive loss or colony damage caused
by the AFB was registered.
Considering the almost generalized distribution of AFB in all the continents, the Brazilian
beekeeping and especially, that of Rio Grande do Sul (South of Brazil), enjoys a singular situation
due the fact that it is a frontier “Foulbrood Area”, we can say: danger area. To avoid or to delay to
the maximum the entrance of this disease into our apiaries, this goal will only be obtained with a
legislation that controls the international trade; with the setup of laboratories for the fast diagnosis
of the presence of spores in areas, apiaries, beehives and supplies, bee products, development of
programs of genetic improvement for obtaining lineages of resistant bees, and especially to avoid
the usage of antibiotics or chemical products as prevention of this disease.
Since the hygienic behavior is related to brood disease resistance, this characteristic is considered
today as the main weapon against AFB. Thus we hope that tropical climate of Brazil can also be an
allied factor against the AFB and that the AHB may also be resistant to the American Foulbrood.
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DISEASE RESISTANCE IN AFRICANIZED HONEY BEES
Kátia Peres Gramacho
Instituto de Biologia -Universidade Federal da Bahia-Salvador-Bahia-Brazil
e-mail: [email protected]
Summary of the Curriculum Vitae: Kátia Peres Gramacho
1. Name: Prof. Dr. KATIA PERES GRAMACHO
2. Home- Address:
Av. Paulo VI, Flamboyant, number 1920, Pituba-Salvador-Ba-Brazil, CEP 41810-00. E-mail:
•
[email protected] - Phone-: 55-(71)-4511501
3.
Occupation:
• Visiting teacher attn University Federal of Bahia (Postgraduate Program in Ecology and
Biomonitoring) at Institute of Biology - Laboratory of Biology and Ecology of Bees (LABEA).
Address: Campus Universitário de Ondina, Rua Barão do Geremoabo s/n - CEP 40 170-110
Salvador-BA-Brazil, Tel. +55 71 427-3810, FAX: +55 71 245-690 E-mail: [email protected]
4.
Professional Certification:
• B. S. Biology – (1990) Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA), Instituto de Biologia, Salvador-Bahia.
Undergraduate Monograph Title: "Effect of ß Fumidil in the Control of the Protozoa Nosema apis Z. in
Africanized Honey Bees". Adviser: Prof. Dr. Blandina F. Viana (FUBA)
• Master Degree in Entomology - (1995) Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Faculdade de Filosofia,
Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP-SP), Major: Entomology - Honey bee genetics and
behavior. Title of Dissertation: "Study of the hygienic behavior of Apis mellifera: characteristics to
be used in the selection and genetic improvement"– under the orientation of Prof. Dr. Lionel S.
Gonçalves. (USP-FFCLRP-SP)
• Ph. Degree in Entomology – (1999) Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Faculdade de Filosofia,
Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP-SP). Major: Entomology- Honey bee genetics and
behavior. Thesis’s Title: "Factors that interfere in the hygienic behavior of the honey bees Apis
mellifera". Under the orientation of Dr. Lionel S. Gonçalves.
• University of Hohenheim – Germany – (1996 and 1998) - Research stage on Behavior Genetic of
Honey Bee and hygienic behavior.
• Post-Doctoral -(2000): University of Minnesota, Laboratory in the Department of Entomology College of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences coordinated by Dr. Marla Spivak.
Research Project: “Analysis of chemical signs (odors) involved in the hygienic behavior through
electroantennograms (EAG) and proboscis-extension reflex (PER) conditioning in Apis mellifera L.,
hygienic and non-hygienic”.
• Several Scholarships: FAPESP, CNPQ, CAPES, CAPES-DAAD etc.
5. Career Related Activities:
• Technique visit: Univ. Nac. Del Centro de la Prov. de Buenos Aires-Fac. Tandil- Feb. 1995
• Technique visit: University of Florida-Gainesville-Florida. USA – Out-Nov. 1995
• Technique visit: Univ. Tübingen-Germany –July 1996
• Technique visit: Universität Erlangen- Germany –September 1998.
• Research assistance: Universidade Católica de Temuco-Chile –Feb. 2000
• Active participation with oral communications in the Apimondia Congresses of: Belgium, Canada.
6. Scientific Production:
• 8 full papers and 2 in preparation
• 18 Resumes of Congresses
7. Main Scientific Area of Research:
• Genetic Behavior of Honey Bees, bee-biology, bee-pathology, Genetic and breeding of Africanized
Honey Bees (AHB), Hygienic Behavior, Beekeeping etc.