# Nosema Killer Found!



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

An answer for the question a a while back.


From

Bee Alert Technology, Inc., Missoula, MT


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:


Heating Kills Honey Bee Pathogen


Bozeman, Montana-April 24 , 2008 â Researchers at Montana State University have d iscovered a possible treatment to sterilize beekeeping equipment exposed to Nosema ceranae, according to Dr. Robert Cramer, an expert in fungal pathogenesis. 





Using a technique called flow cytometry to measure the viability of the fungal spores of N. ceranae, Julie Elser in the Cramer Lab discovered that treatment of the spores with heat at 50Â°C (122Â°F) for 90 minutes led to 96% mortality of the spores. Similar treatment of the spores with extreme cold did not significantly affect viability. 





While these results are preliminary, the ease, cost, and safety of heat treatment suggests that beekeeping equipment could be disinfected at temperatures that will not melt the wax in the combs.


Randy Oliver, a California beekeeper, who has been writing about Nosema and coordinating with the researchers, comments: "This is an important confirmation of a potential practical method for comb sterilization, that could be of immense benefit to the industry. It confirms a body of research on the previously known Nosema apis which suggested that N. apis spores were susceptible to heat treatments. The demonstrated heat sensitivity helps to explain the newer Nosema ceranae epidemiology. But until the actual Cramer trial, we did not know if the Nosema apis sterilization data was applicable."





Many beekeepers have hot rooms that could be used to clean up comb, says Dr. Jerry Bromenshenk, CEO of Bee Alert Technology, Inc. in Missoula, MT. At this time of the year, beekeepers who have lost bee colonies to Nosema disease may be reluctant to put new bees on to old combs, fearing re-infection. A 2-3 hour exposure of bee equipment to temperatures around 120Â°F may be warranted. 





Bee Alert is working with the Cramer lab, Randy Oliver, and other beekeepers to set up field trials of the effectiveness of heat treatment. Funding for the Nosema research was provided by the California State Beekeepers Association and the Montana Agricultural Research Experiment Station.

Contacts:

Dr. Robert Cramer Dr. Jerry Bromenshenk Randy Oliver


Montana State University Bee Alert Technology, Inc. Grass Valley, CA


Bozeman, MT Missoula, MT &nbs p; Cell: 530 277-4450


Office: 406-994-7467 Office/Lab: 406-541-3160 www.randyoliver.com

Lab: 406-994-7468 [email protected]


[email protected]

 Al


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Time to bring this back to the top.
Also a new study found that heatting exposed equipment to 122F, for 24 hours in most cases kills 100% of the spores.
They also recommending not skipping treatments for Nosma.

 Al


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## Iddee (Sep 25, 2005)

Al, could you provide a link for this? I want to post it on another forum, but I will never post from one forum to another, out of respect to the forum owners.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Was sent to me in an E Mail after I had searched for a treatment for it once we figured out what it was killing our bees last spring and they stopped feeding.

It of course came well after we got the answer from the Universty of Guleph in Ont. Ca.

 Al


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## Iddee (Sep 25, 2005)

Found it. Thanks

http://home.ezezine.com/1636/1636-2008.04.24.15.46.archive.html


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## Michael Bush (Oct 26, 2008)

>They also recommending not skipping treatments for Nosma.

Hmmm. Does 35 years of no Nosema treatments count as skipping...?

I must have skipped a few...


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