The use of antibiotics for the treatment of bees

Antibiotics are used by beekeepers to treat various infectious diseases in bees caused by pathogenic microorganisms. It is necessary to treat the use of such drugs with the utmost responsibility.

An overdose or uncontrolled use as a prophylactic agent can lead to the most unfavorable consequences: it is dangerous for humans, and in bees it leads to the appearance of resistant pathogens that are completely resistant to the effects of a particular drug.

The content of the article

  • 1 Пенициллин
    • 1.1 Additional fertilizing
    • 1.2 Rotting diseases
  • 2 Oxytetracycline
  • 3 Tetracycline
  • 4 Biomycin
    • 4.1 Biovetin
  • 5 Metasulfan
    • 5.1 Spraying
    • 5.2 Additional fertilizing

Пенициллин

This antibiotic is a waste product of molds. It is considered non-toxic even in overdose. Therefore, on its basis, many medicines are produced today.

In beekeeping practice, the following is used:

  • as a top dressing (for stimulation);
  • for the destruction of pathogens of foulbrood diseases and their prevention.

Additional fertilizing

For feeding, a syrup is prepared in a one-to-one ratio (part of the granulated sugar is taken for part of the water). When sugar is dissolved, make sure that it does not burn. Then it is cooled to thirty degrees and dissolved in one liter of syrup 200 units of penicillin.

A prophylactic agent is issued at the rate of 100 grams for each street (the space between the frames in the bee’s nest).

Top dressing is performed three times with a break of seven days. For example, a family with eight streets receives 800 grams of food every seven days – just 2,4 kg of food for one course of prophylaxis.

Rotting diseases

The fight against rotting diseases of the brood can include both prophylactic dispensing of syrup or spraying of the frames, as well as the actual treatment.

Prevention is performed as follows:

  1. In a liter of syrup, 0,9-1 million units of an antibiotic are dissolved. Syrup is fed at the rate of 100 ml per street.
  2. A liter of water dissolves 1 million units of penicillin. This solution is suitable for prophylactic spraying of honeycombs.

Treatment is carried out by processing the hive with a special mixture. It is taken:

  • 50 million units of penicillin;
  • 1 kg of dry base – starch or powdered sugar;
  • 2-3 g of dust.

All of these funds are applied three times with a break of five to seven days between each processing or dispensing of syrup. Treatment of bees with penicillin should be carried out in severely weakened families until they fully recover.

Oxytetracycline

This antibiotic belongs to a broad spectrum of drugs – it can inhibit various pathogens. Available in tablet and powder form.

oxytetracycline

In beekeeping practice, the following is most often used:

  • to get rid of European foulbrood;
  • to destroy the pathogen of American foulbrood.

Treatment of bees with oxytetracycline is performed according to the following scheme: 0,5 grams of antibiotic is taken per liter of sugar syrup. Feeding is given three times with a break per week at the rate of 0,8-1 liters per nest.

This antibiotic is used by some European beekeepers as a stimulant and prophylactic agent. The application scheme is as follows:

  • for 3,8 liters of syrup, 0,2 g of the drug is taken – the finished feed is fed within one day (it is poured into the outer honeycombs);
  • the same solution is used for three spraying of honeycombs with an interval of 7-10 days.

Tetracycline

This antibiotic belongs to sulfonamides. Effective in the fight against rotten infection of brood.

tetracycline

Treatment of bees with tetracycline shows the best results when dispensed as a syrup. Spraying the nests gives unsatisfactory results.

Top dressing is prepared at the rate of 10 tablets of 100 mg of the drug per liter of sugar syrup (strength 1: 1). Dispensed in feeders or empty combs placed closer to the center of the nest. Up to 150 ml of syrup is issued per street every 5-7 days. Typically, the course of treatment includes three to four dispenses of therapeutic feeding. If necessary, the course can be repeated.

Biomycin

It is an antibiotic from the tetracyclines group, used to cure and prevent rotten diseases in bees.

biomycin

Treatment regimens:

  1. Top dressing is done with sugar syrup at the rate of 100 ml for each street. In one liter of syrup cooled to room temperature, dissolve 300 – 000 U of the drug. The medicine is given three times with an interval of 500-000 days.
  2. Spraying honeycombs is carried out with an aqueous solution (500 units per liter of boiled chilled water) at the rate of 000 ml for each frame.
  3. For pollination of honeycombs, powder is prepared from dust (2 g), powdered sugar or starch (1 kg) and 25 million units of biomycin powder. Weakened families should undergo a second course until complete recovery.

Biovetin

Biovetin is a 25% biomycin antibiotic. Available in sealed vials. It is used to combat pathogens of various types of foulbrood.

It is used for pollination until the complete recovery of bees. One course: three treatments every five to seven days at the rate of 1-2 g of the drug per frame on both sides.

Metasulfan

This drug includes three antibacterial substances at once: trimethaprim, sulfometaxazole and sulfomerazine. The drug is effective for foulbrood diseases of the brood and bacteriosis (nosematosis and other types of intestinal lesions). It is used immediately after the first symptoms of infection are detected. For preventive purposes, it is used after the spring flight.

metasulfan

Metasulfan is used for the treatment of bees:

  • in the form of an aqueous solution for spraying;
  • mixed with kandy;
  • mixed with sugar syrup.

Spraying

To prepare the solution, one bottle of the drug (10 g) and a liter of boiled water, cooled to a temperature of 60-70 degrees, are used. After dissolving the drug, the water is cooled to room temperature. All frames in the nest are sprayed at the rate of 10 ml per frame inhabited by bees. Treatment is carried out until the symptoms disappear completely – while spraying is carried out every four days. For prevention, one spraying is sufficient.

Additional fertilizing

Preparing for feeding 50% sugar syrup, in which the medicine is dissolved (10 g of the drug is taken for 10 liters of syrup). Syrup is fed at the rate of 100 ml per frame. For prevention, one feeding is enough. Treatment is performed by dispensing food every 5-7 days until all signs of the disease disappear completely.

Kandy prepared at the rate of 10 g of antibiotic per 5 kg of feeding. Issued 50 grams for each frame in the nest every 5-7 days until all symptoms disappear completely. For prevention, a single feeding is enough.

It should be noted that not all antibacterial drugs that are actively used in veterinary practice are used in beekeeping. For example, despite the high antibacterial activity, bees are not treated with bicillin and ampicillin for bacteriosis (both drugs belong to the penicillin group), since the pathogens are not sensitive to both drugs.

Treatment of bees with any antibiotics should be carried out strictly according to the instructions supplied by the manufacturer. And for an accurate diagnosis, laboratory tests are required. Any deviations from dosages and unauthorized changes in treatment recommendations are unacceptable.

With regard to prevention, its best option is the proper care of the apiary and the cultivation of strong families, and not the issuance of antibiotics “for safety reasons.”

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Anna Evans

Author ✓ Farmer

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