INVESTIGATION of MICROORGANISM CONTAMINATION POINTS in BEEKEEPING EQUIPMENTS WITH CLINICAL SIGNS of FOULBROOD in APIARIES

Abstract

The goal of this study was to determine whether colonies with clinical signs of foulbrood in apiaries and hive tools, smokers, gloves, feeders and beekeeper's veils used in the same colonies were a reservoir source for microbial infections. For this purpose, samples were taken from colonies with clinical signs of foulbrood and collected from 29 different apiaries in the Southern Marmara region of Türkiye. The samples were brought to the laboratory under appropriate conditions, and agent isolation and identification were performed. Different microorganisms were isolated from the feeder, hive tool, beekeeper smoker, gloves and beekeeper suit samples collected from each apiary. Bacteria isolated from the samples taken from the hives with clinical signs of foulbrood and from the samples taken from the tools and equipment were isolated as the same species or as a mixture. As a result, an intense presence of microorganisms was detected in the hive tool, beekeeper suit, gloves, feeder, and beekeeper’s smoker, used by beekeepers, and it was determined that these materials used in beekeeping were a source of microbial reservoirs.