By SUSAN BLOWER
Indiana Correspondent

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — An alarming outbreak of American Foulbrood in the Upper Cumberland area of Tennessee has resulted in the destruction of 52 honeybee colonies and their equipment.

“Normally, we have eight cases in a year. We had 52 cases last month in a three-county area. All the effected colonies have been killed and burned,” said Mike Spuder, Tennessee’s state apiarist. “It was the worst outbreak since the (19)80s.”

Because there is no known cure, Spuder said they also inspected colonies within a five-mile radius of affected colonies. That is the extent of the flight distance of honeybees.

Honeybees have been in the news in recent years as their numbers have decreased in North America. Colony Collapse Disorder was the main focus of this phenomenon. American Foulbrood is a bacterial disease unrelated to CCD. The disease has dogged beekeepers for many years and continues to be a risk throughout the country and the world, Spuder said. “It is a bigger problem in other states because they move the bees, and that spreads it. The only (effective means) is to kill and burn them and their equipment. It’s pretty devastating to the beekeeper,” Spuder said.

Colonies have a value of $300 each, he added. Though the number of outbreaks in Tennessee was large, Don Hopkins, president of Apiary Inspectors of America, said it’s not unusual for the disease to break out quickly.

“In our state (North Carolina), we had only eight cases for the fiscal year, 2009-10, but last month we found eight cases in two operations,” he said.

The rapidity of Foulbrood underscores the importance of regular inspection, he explained. “If it weren’t for inspection services, no doubt the incidences would go way up,” Hopkins said.

The evidence of American Foulbrood is clear: a distinctive odor, sunken honeycomb, and brown larvae. Still, Studer urges beekeepers to contact their state apiarist if they suspect the disease. “I know one guy who burned all his colonies; he sent his samples and they did not test positive for Foulbrood,” he said.
Spuder plans to recheck the Upper Cumberland area – the northern part of the Cumberland Mountain range – within 30 days. Spores from the disease can remain for 70 years in equipment, he said. Used equipment should be boiled in a lye solution when it is bought.

Drug misuse?

Beekeepers usually pretreat twice a year with antibiotics to prevent infection; however, this particular strain of American Foulbrood appeared to be drug resistant, Spuder said.

Drug resistance can be caused by over-treating with antibiotics, often by beekeepers who move around frequently, Spuder said. He said the semiannual treatment should be the maximum.

Hopkins agreed that the rise of antibiotic strains of Foulbrood is probably due to misuse and overuse of the antibiotic treatments. Some apiarists use the drugs before inspection, which only masks the symptoms and delays the course of the disease once it’s started.

Hopkins recommends non-commercial beekeepers resist using drugs unless there has been recent disease exposure. “Don’t use routinely. If (the colonies) have been exposed, use antibiotics for several years but wean off them,” he said.

Spuder encouraged registration with the state apiarist if the state has a program. In that way, the beekeeper can stay abreast of the latest news about diseases and other relevant topics. The state apiarist can contact registrants with news alerts.

Honeybees are essential to the production of crops and other plants. The USDA estimates that bees pollinate $15 billion worth of U.S. crops.