Prevalence of Nosemosis and Varroosis in Honey Bees in Kastamonu Province

Aim to study:The Black Sea and Aegean regions are among the regions, most heavily involved in beekeeping.Kastamonu accounts for two-thirds of the chestnut forests in the Black Sea region and is therefore the most importantproduction area for chestnut honey. Kastamonu has 77.508 colonies and ranks 56th in honey production in Türkiye,with a honey yield of 3,95 kg/colony. Bee diseases and pests are among the factors affecting honey production.Therefore, this study aimed to determine the current situation by comparing the prevalence of both nosemosis andvarroosis among honeybees in the Kastamonu region.Material and methods:A total of 1.074 adult bee samples were dissected in Ringer’s solution and examined fornosemosis. A total of 1.696 adult bee samples were examined for varroosis.Results:Nosemosis was common disease. Average of the nosemosis infection was 3.15%. On the other hand,varroosis was observed in the eight of 9 localities examined in Kastamonu province. Total infection ranged from 0.53to 37%.Conclusion:In conclusion, this study shows thatVarroa destructor(V. destructor)andNosemaspp. are prevalentin apiaries in Kastamonu province and may pose a significant threat to honey bee populations.