Bee and nest pests, along with disease-causing pathogens, seek bee products such as honey and beeswax as a resource.
Food reserves, the bees themselves and their nests, all attract a wide variety of unwanted pest and pathogen visitors.
Pathogens cause diseases of both the growing brood (larvae) and adults. Some are viruses and others, such as bacteria, may kill the brood. One particularly serious disease is “American Foulbrood,” which beekeepers must eliminate to avoid further infected colonies. Other pathogens are treated with management or antibiotics to control damage.
