CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Maintaining and improving honeybee health is the argument for most of apidological scientific research worldwide. Beekeepers need that the economic stability for commercial beekeeping and pollination operations will be guaranteed. For this, both sectors have to deal with a range of pests and pathogens affecting honeybees Apis mellifera. Because of them, honeybee health is in risk and need be treated. In this chapter we will focus mainly on three diseases causing enormous colony losses: bacterial American foulbrood (AFB), gut microsporidia Nosema, and Varroa mites. The pathogens and parasites load in managed bee colonies is regulated by applying any control treatment. The traditional management include antibiotics such oxytetracycline and fumagillin for controlling AFB and Nosema, respectively; and acaricides based in organophosphate and pyrethroid compounds for Varroa control. Treating diseases with these synthetic drugs, moreover to harm the bees, may alter apicultural products by leaving contaminating residues, and facilitate the resistance phenomenon in pest population. It is therefore evident that alternative strategies are needed to fight these pests that will minimize their resistance and prevent contaminate bee products. In this review we will offer a wide range of management options mainly including organic acids, microbial metabolites, and bioactive phytochemicals derivate from plants. We will discuss the biological activity of the alternative substances in laboratory and field conditions for each pathogen. At the same time, an integrated overview for simultaneous treatment of different pests will be given. We will argue how the limitation of synthetic drugs application and the inclusion of some natural products with antioxidant or immunomodulatory properties to the management practices could to enhance overall honeybee health.

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