The first detection of Braula coeca in honey bee colonies in Uganda

Although Braula coeca does not parasitize honey bees, it causes economic impact when its larval stage burrows under the capping of honey combs. We sampled 175 and 195 honey bee colonies between December 2014-September 2015 during the dry and wet seasons respectively from two highland agro-ecological...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of apicultural research 2020-03, Vol.59 (2), p.193-194
Main Authors: Chemurot, Moses, de Graaf, Dirk C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Apis mellifera
bee louse
East Africa
highlands
infestation rates
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Summary:Although Braula coeca does not parasitize honey bees, it causes economic impact when its larval stage burrows under the capping of honey combs. We sampled 175 and 195 honey bee colonies between December 2014-September 2015 during the dry and wet seasons respectively from two highland agro-ecological zones of Uganda with the aim of establishing B. coeca presence, infestation levels and its knowledge by beekeepers. The results confirmed the presence of B. coeca with infestation levels being high during the dry season compared to the wet season. Infestation levels of the B. coeca were generally lower than those reported in other countries suggesting that local honey bees have mechanisms that maintain low pest levels. Finally, majority of the beekeepers were not aware of this pest and were not carrying out any targeted control measures against B. coeca or Varroa destructor.
ISSN:0021-8839
2078-6913
DOI:10.1080/00218839.2019.1702326