Honeybees are remarkably resilient creatures and have an amazing ability to adapt and adjust their colony’s behaviors to better manage new challenges, they can usually take care of themselves quite well. However, they face significant threats that can impact their health and survival. During routine hive inspections and record-keeping, it’s important to be aware of these threats and take action when necessary.
The most impactful threats are those that have a direct influence on the health status of individual bees and the colony overall, like the presence of diseases or parasites, or frequent, stressful disturbances outside the hive from pests like robbing bees or wasps, ants, mice, and, of course, bears.
Varroa mites are one of the most dangerous threats to colonies as they have also evolved through the years to become resilient against mite treatments and hygienic honeybee mite removal behaviors. Mite levels can grow quickly and as it does, mites will spread diseases among bees in the colony, further weakening them over time. A mite infestation adds a lot of stress to their lives, which can be very damaging to the colony’s health, too.
Other notable pests, diseases and parasites that could threaten your colony’s health directly include issues like the diseases American and European Foulbrood and Nosema and invasive, damaging pests like Small Hive Beetles, Wax Moths, and parasites like tracheal mites.
Find in-depth resources to help with managing various pests and diseases, plus resources specific to the testing, treatment, and management of Varroa mites, in the “Read More” section below!
Other threats are dependent more on your bee yard and beehive’s location, and the environment inside of and around it. Stressful in-hive conditions like limited space, and poor temperature or moisture control can lead to swarming. Lack of diverse foraging resources also threatens bees’ ability to store enough food, especially in cold climates where the risk of starvation is high to bees clustering during winter.
Outside and away from the beehive, foraging honeybees still face threats like exposure to the use of pesticides, attacks from birds or other insects, and exposure to diseases or varroa mites from other bee colonies, if any are within a couple of miles.
Read More
PerfectBee Academy Lessons – Course 3, Section 3.1: Threats to Bees
An Overview of the Main Threats to Bees
A Practical Guide to a Thriving Colony
Recognizing and Avoiding Swarms
The Threat of Varroa Mites (Part 1)
How Taking Notes Can Help Manage Varroa Mites
What is “Integrated Pest Management”?
The Threat of Varroa Mites (Part 2) *
* Colony Member-Only Content
