American Foulbrood
Paenibacillus larvae
Randy Oliver - scientifcbeekeeping.com
Brood Disease
American Foul Brood (AFB) is a contagious bacterial disease, the spores of which remain infectious for over 50 years. There are a handful of cases in Maine each year now, primarily attributed to the reuse of long-stored but uninspected equipment. It is a disease that formerly had a much larger incidence in Maine, but now there are usually between two and four outbreaks per year. The State Apiarists (formerly Tony Jadzack and now Jen Lund) deserve much credit for reducing the number of incidents that have taken AFB from the feared category and placed it in the group that requires vigilance and recognition of symptoms.
Randy Oliver - scientifcbeekeeping.com
Randy Oliver - scientifcbeekeeping.com
Website - PennState Extension - American Foul Brood AMAZING PICTURES OF AFB IN VARIOUS STAGES BY EAS MASTER BEEKEEPER STEVEN REPASKY
Web Pages - Bee Aware (Australia) - American Foul Brood
PDF - Honey Bee Health Coalition - Identifying and Mitigating Foulbrood in Honeybee Colonies and Reducing the Use of Antibiotics
Video - Oregon State University Extension - Diagnosing American Foulbrood in Honey Bee Colonies (link is to YouTube)
Fact Sheet - USDA ARS - American Foulbrood Factsheet
Video - David Burns - Beekeeping Nightmare: Be On The Lookout For this Deadly Disease (link is to YouTube)
In Maine, hives infected with American Foulbrood Disease, after a confirming laboratory test, must be destroyed. (both bees and woodenware)
Chalkbrood
Ascophaera Apis
Randy Oliver - scientifcbeekeeping.com
Brood Disease
Chalkbrood is a common issue in Maine. It is a mostly seasonal fungal disease that is related to colony stress. It is not usually fatal to the colony. There is no treatment. Some species of native bees also get Chalkbrood (Ascophera spp).
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Crown Copyright
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Crown Copyright
Blog Post - Honey Bee Suite - Chalkbrood disease of honey bees
Web Page - USDA ARS in Beltsville, MD - Chalkbrood
Web Page - Bee Health Extension - Chalkbrood
Video - Inside the Hive.TV - The Fungus Among Us: The Bee Disease Making Beekeepers Fight!
Web Page - Texas Apiary Inspection Service - Chalkbrood
European Foulbrood
Melissococcus plutonius
Randy Oliver - scientifcbeekeeping.com
Brood Disease
Often called by its initials, EFB, is common in Maine, While it is a bacterial disease, it is one that does not produce spores.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Crown Copyright
Bee Health (eXtension.org)
Web Page - Bee Health Extension - European Foulbrood
PDF - University of Florida - Ask IFAS Extension - Identification and Treatment of European Foulbrood in Honey Bee Colonies
Web Page - National Bee Unit - How to spot European foulbrood
Web Page - Dave-Cushman.net - The Shook Swarm Method (or Shakedown in US) for Honey Bee Comb Renewal
PDF - Honey Bee Health Coalition - IDENTIFYING AND MITIGATING FOULBROOD IN HONEY BEE COLONIES AND REDUCING THE USE OF ANTIBIOTICS
Sacbrood Virus
Iflavirus sacbroodi
Licensed by Alamy
primarily a Brood Disease, also impacts young adult bees
Sacbrod virus is fairly rare, but not unheard of in Maine.
Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera), Crown Copyright
Oklahoma State University
Web Page -Bee Aware - Sacbrood
Web Page - Wikipedia - Sacbrood Virus
PDF of Paper - Wei R, Cao L, Feng Y, Chen Y, Chen G, Zheng H. Sacbrood Virus: A Growing Threat to Honeybees and Wild Pollinators. Viruses. 2022 Aug 25
Video - a Canadian Beekeeper’s Blog - Sac Brood Disease Identification, the Symptoms that Differ it from AFB (link is to YouTube)
PDF - National Bee Unit - Sacbrood Virus
Stonebrood
aspergillosis spp.
Photo Credit
Brood Disease
Rare in Maine. A fungal disease hard to tell apart from Chalkbrood.
Randy Oliver - scientifcbeekeeping.com
Photo Credit
Web Page - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - Chalkbrood and Stonebrood
Paper - von Knoblauch T, Jensen AB, Mülling CKW, Heusinger A, Aupperle-Lellbach H, Genersch E. Stonebrood Disease-Histomorphological Changes in Honey Bee Larvae (Apis mellifera) Experimentally Infected with Aspergillus flavus. Vet Sci. 2025 Feb 4;
Web Page - Oregon State University - Insect ID clinic - Stonebrood
Web Page - Agriculture.Institute - Stone Brood Disease: A Rare Fungal Threat to Honeybee Colonies
Video - Beekeeping with Dr Karen Avetisyan - Stonebrood: How dangerous? (link is to YouTube)