Mermitidosis of bees
Mertmitidosis is an invasive disease of adult bees.
The causative agent of the disease. Mermithids – Mermithidae – round worms, nematodes parasitizing various insect species, including bees. Helminth has a length of 5-12 cm, more often it is milky white. Mermitids live in moist soil. Sexually mature forms of worms lay a large number of eggs in the soil. Out of the eggs that enter the insect body, larvae emerge, which are parasites of insects.
Mermitids are found in the body of orthopterans, butterflies, flies, beetles, hymenopterans. Infection of bees, as well as of other insects, occurs through the digestive canal when they take contaminated eggs with marmithids of food or water. From the egg, caught with food in the middle bee of the bee, a larva emerges, which penetrates through the intestinal wall into the abdominal cavity. Here it develops, and shortly before reaching maturity it leaves the host organism and ends its development in the soil. Probably, by this time of infection the bee is dying.
Epizootic data. Most often bees are infected with mermithids, collecting water in small standing ponds, puddles, marshes. In this connection, flight bees collecting nectar, pollen and water are mainly infected. Infection of the uterus and drones is possible when they transmit contaminated water, delivered by working bees.
The course and symptoms of the disease. The disease occurs in the form of single sporadic cases. This disease is not significantly weakened by families. Bees are most often infected in July and August, when the mermitids accumulate in large quantities in the soil and water bodies. Contribute to the development of the disease proximity of groundwater, high soil moisture, conducive to the development of Mermitids, as well as a break in honey, when instead of nectar bees begin to bring into the beehive water.
Diagnosis. Mermithids are found when the abdomen is opened by bees and uterus. Types of mermitids are determined by adult parasite forms.
Prevention. To prevent mermitidosis, apiaries are placed in dry places, on the slopes of mountains, away from wetlands. Bees put on the apiary drinkers with flowing boiled water.
Control measures have not been developed.
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