Ajao, AM and Babatunde, SK. (2013). Isolation and Identification of Microorganisms in Comb and Body parts of Wild and Domesticated Honey Bees of two Ecozones of Nigeria. Erudite Journal of Microbiology and Biodiversity (EJMB). Vol. 2(1): 8-15.
Abstract
The survival of the honey bee depends on the successful defense against microbial invaders, parasites and predators. This research was carried out to isolate and identify microorganisms associated with the honeybees of two ecological zones of Nigeria. Thirty adult worker honeybees were collected from the wild, modern and traditional beekeeping methods and analyzed for microbial presence. The body and bee comb were swabbed using sterile normal saline moistened swab stick. The swabs were diluted, homogenized and cultured for microbial growth. The contents of the fore, mid and hind guts were emptied, homogenized and cultured. 1ml of homogenized sample was diluted, from this into four sterile dilutions of 1/20 1/40 1/80 and 1/160. 1.0 ml each of dilutions which was inoculated into molten Sabourand dextrose Agar (SDA) containing tetracycline for fungi growth, while nutrient agar and De Ma Rogossa Sharbroth (MRS) agar were inoculated for the bacteria. SDA plates were incubated at 30o C for 3 days while SDA and MRS were incubated at 37oC overnight. The total number of colonies forming units (CFU) per plate was counted and was correlated to the dilution factor. Each different colony was identified using morphological and biochemical tests. The microbial examination of the comb, body and gut of the bees showed the presence of six moulds and fungi: Mucor hiemalis, Penincillium frequentans, Aspergilus repens, Rhizopus stolonifer, Geotrichums sp. and Botryotricum sp. and three bacteria species in the three beekeeping methods in both ecological zones. The species of the bacteria encountered were: Staphylococcus aureus, Streptobaccillus sp. and Baccillus pulyifacien. Some of the isolated microbes such as Mucor hiemalis, Aspergilus species and Rhizopus species have been implicated as causative organisms of chalkbrood disease of bee. Further research is been suggested for the roles of the isolates in much dreaded CCD.