Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus(CBPV)
- What is it?
- A virus that kills bees. It comes in two forms:
- Type 1 Bloated abdomen, trembling wings, fall to ground, unable to fly.
- Type 2 Bees become hairless around abdomen and lookblack and shiny.
- Both types are fatal to the individual bee.
- Both types can exist in the colony at the same time.
- Both types can exist in the same bee at the same time.
- The effect on the colony.
- A colony may survive if is strong enough.
- A weakened colony may die.
- How does it arrive in the colony?
- The means of arrival is not known.
- May be by drifting from infected colonies
- May always be present and stress allows it to break out - like a cold sore.
- The Varroa mite is not thought to be a vector.
- How does it spread within the colony?
- Spread by faecal to oral contamination.
- Also spread by bees grooming bees.
- Spreads most easily in strong colonies which are crowded.
- Is it common?
- Found in Europe, including the UK
- Found in North America
- Found in Asia
- Infections are increasing.
- Prevention
- Practice good apiary hygiene.
- Prevent drifting between colonies.
- Ensure the bees have enough space in the hive.
- Treatment
- There is no chemical treatment available.
- Remove the floor of the hive so infected bees fall out.
- Reduces the viral load in the colony
- Carry out a modified shook swarm.
- Move the hive about 50 metres away.
- Put an empty brood box back in the original location.
- Shake all the bees of a frame in the brood box.
- Place this frame into the new brood box.
- Repeat this for all the frames in the brood box
- Rebuild the rest of the hive in the original location.
- All the fit flying bees will fly to the original location
- Heavily infected bees will not be able to get back to the original location
- This may need to be repeated several times.
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