Herbal treatment and Nosema.

Extracts from:

Scientific Advances in Controlling Nosema ceranae (Microsporidia) Infections in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)

Andre J. Burnham* MINI REVIEW article

Front. Vet. Sci., 15 March 2019

A summary of the effect of herbal supplements. Many show promise. The pros and cons of herbal treatments are that they are regarded as foods rather than medicines and are not rigorously tested before being sold. Many humans take unnecessary vitamin supplements and feel better taking them. Giving their bees supplements seems perfect sense. The recommended doses look small, giving the covert message that the supplements are powerful/strong. They are expensive, and I remain sceptical.

“Preliminary data suggest that a commercial phytopharmacological supplement, Nozevit®, may improve bee health by decreasing colony spore loads (63). (46) reported no effect of Nozevit® in cage trials. A 2-year survey of the seaweed-based supplement HiveAlive™ reported a decrease in colony spore loads and an increased hive population relative to controls following administration of two biannual treatments (64). Surprisingly, survival was not commented on in this study, although the authors account for colony mortality in their analyses of colony strength (64). If this survey's conclusions were dodgy, one wonders about the integrity of the others. Although certain natural extracts and commercial supplements have shown efficacy against N. ceranae, other natural product supplements advertised as anti-infective do not benefit honey bees infected with N. ceranae. Nosestat® and Vitafeed Gold® were evaluated in a field trial and found to have no impact on colony productivity and Nosema spore levels (95). ApiHerb® and Nonosz® sold to improve bee health and treat nosemosis, but additional research and more scientific evidence are needed to support claims of efficacy (95). Beekeepers should be cautious about which supplements and extracts they select for treating N. ceranae infections.”

References

Please refer to those in the original paper.

62. Glavinic U, Stankovic B, Draskovic V, Stevanovic J, Petrovic T, Lakic N, Stanimirovic Z. Dietary amino acid and vitamin complex protects honey bee from immunosuppression caused by Nosema ceranae. PLoS ONE. (2017) 12:e0187726. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0187726

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63. Higes M, Gómez-Moracho T, Rodriguez-García C, Botias C, Martín-Hernández R. Preliminary effect of an experimental treatment with “Nozevit®”. (a phyto-pharmacological preparation) for Nosema ceranae control. J Apic Res. (2014) 53:472–4. doi: 10.3896/IBRA.1.53.4.03

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64. Charistos L, Parashos N, Hatjina F. Long term effects of a food supplement HiveAlive™ on honey bee colony strength and Nosema ceranae spore counts. J Apic Res. (2015) 54:420–6. doi: 10.1080/00218839.2016.1189231

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Research in 2023

Beneficial Bacteria and Plant Extracts Promote Honey Bee Health and Reduce Nosema ceranae Infection