The influence of apiculture technique and the type of beekeeping on the occurrence of bee pathogens in honey bees | ?????? ?????????? ? ???? ????????? ?? ???????????? ???????? ???????? ??? ????????? ?????

The aim of this study was to decide whether there are differences in the occurrence of pathogensin traditionally and commercially kept bee colonies in order to determine the anthropogenic influence on the spreading of bee pathogens. This is the first research which provides information on the health status of bees kept in trmka hives, as well as on the influence of beekeeping practices on the spread of bee pathogens. The field experiment was conducted in the Pester plateau, on 144 seemingly healthy bee colonies. In order to determine the prevalence of bee brood pathogens (Paenibacillus larvae, Melissococcus plutonius, Ascosphaera apis and sacbrood virus ? SBV) and adult bee pathogens (deformed-wing virus? DWV, chronic bee paralysis virus ? CBPV and acute bee paralysis virus ?ABPV). Bee brood samples were taken from all the hives tested (DB and trmka hives).Pathogen detection was done by isolation of bacteria and by the use of PCR and real-time PCR assays, in accordance with the OIE standards. In commercially kept colonies P. larvae was detected in 16.67% of samples, A. apis in 15.83% and SBV in 96.67%, whilst in those kept in traditionally in trmka hives only SBV was detected in 33.33% of the samples. As for adult bee diseases, in both commercially and traditionally kept colonies the genetic material of all of the three viruses (ABPV, CBPV ? DWV) was detected, their prevalence being significantly higher (p<0.001) in commercial colonies (83.33%, 100.00% and 100.00%, respectively) in comparison with those in trmka hives (33.33% for each virus). All commercially kept colonies were infected at least with one of the pathogens tested, unlike traditionally kept bees in trmka hives, out of which 66.66% were free from pathogens. Rarefaction analysis determined that the number of pathogens detected per colony in trmka hives would not have been different had the number of analysed colonies been increased. It can be concluded that the bee population kept traditionally is self-sustaining and more resistant to bee pathogens, and that beekeeping practices negatively influence the bees? health.