Bacillus larvae
bacterium
Quick Summary
Bacillus larvae is a bacterium that causes American foulbrood, the most serious brood disease affecting honeybees worldwide. This spore-forming bacterium is highly resistant to heat and chemicals.12
American Foulbrood
- Symptoms: Infected larvae develop a ropy or gummy condition. A comb with infected brood appears mottled due to a mix of healthy and diseased cells.12
- Spread: The disease can spread to healthy colonies through contaminated equipment or by bees consuming honey from infected hives.2
- Control: While treatments like sulfathiazole and Terramycin exist, many regions mandate the destruction of diseased colonies by fire to prevent further spread.2
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