Honey bees that appear black, hairless, and shiny may be infected with Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus (CBPV). The symptoms of this virus appear only in adult bees and include the loss of body hair, trembling, and the inability to fly.
Affected bees are often described as “greasy” in appearance and are frequently seen near the hive entrance or clinging to blades of grass in the immediate vicinity of the hive. Their paralyzed wings are often held at an unusual angle that resembles the letter “K.”
Because the healthy workers in a colony will quickly get rid of the infected bees, Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus rarely takes out a whole colony and is considered only a “minor” honey bee disease. However, if you find large numbers of such bees, the colony can be fortified by supplementing the population with brood from another colony. Usually, an infected hive will recover on its own.
Because some research has shown that susceptibility to the disease may have a genetic component, re-queening a hive may be necessary to prevent future outbreaks.
In my own experience, I have seen these symptoms only twice. Both times I found three or four distinctly greasy-looking bees walking around on the top bars with their wings splayed out. I removed these individuals and never noticed any further evidence of disease.
Don’t panic if you see symptoms of the disease, but stay alert. If the incidence of infected bees seems to increase, consider re-queening. As with most viral diseases, there is no cure for CBPV.
Rusty
I have noticed greasy-looking black bees in some of my hives during the winter. I am highly suspecting CBPV, which is also associated with confinement. They leave dark feces in the hive as if infected with nosema but have repeatedly tested nosema-free. It usually shows up in colonies not treated for mites as the colony is weakening in the winter and the population is dropping. It is gross to open a hive on a warmer winter day and see disoriented very greasy bees moping around unable to cluster, and severe defecation blackening parts of the comb or top bars. The infected colonies rarely make it through the winter. Other hives not treated for mites show no symptoms all winter, but I have had bees to come down with it if I move frames of leftover honey from a dead-out to another hive that is low on food supplies. It seems quite contagious. Does anyone know if the virus can live long-term in honey? I have never noticed the trembling at all, and have never seen it during the summer. I treat the badly stained frames by cutting out the wax, scraping the wooden parts, installing new foundation, and letting them set out in the sunlight. Will a bleach solution kill CBPV? (Some viruses are killed by UV light and dehydration, but I do not know if this is true of CBPV.) I live in West Virginia, US.
Found this link interesting: http://www.ibra.org.uk/articles/Chronic-bee-paralysis-virus-infection-in-honey-bees-Apis-mellifera-L
(Click on the “open access” link for the full text PDF)
Michael,
Interesting article. Like I said in my post, I’ve only seen what looked like CBPV twice and in neither case did I have it tested–so I don’t really know. Both times were in late fall or early winter, and in both cases the greasy bees were away from the cluster, meandering around the top bars. The cluster had probably rejected them.
It was scary looking. At first I wasn’t even sure they were bees because their appearance was so altered. But I never saw the disease progress as you describe; I just removed those bees and that was the end of it. If I ever see it again, I will send them in for testing.
In answer to your question, I have no clue how to disinfect for the disease, or if the virus can live outside the host.