American foulbrood - barrier systems
Summary
American foulbrood (AFB) is one of the major diseases of beekeeping in Australia.
The bacterium Paenibacillus larvae is ingested by the developing bee larvae and multiplies to the point where it eventually kills the bee larvae.
The primary methods of spread of the disease are by the transfer of infected materials into healthy bee colonies and by healthy bees robbing from diseased bee colonies.
One system of management worth implementing is a 'barrier system'.
