The honeybee suffers from diseases. In many parts of the world, research is underway for means of combating or preventing them. However the African bee industry is in its infant stage and not much research has been carried out on bee diseases in Africa. It is believed that some of the diseases found in temperate and sub-tropical regions of other parts of the world may be present on the continent. This practice gives an overview over common brood (like the American and European Brood Foul) and adult bee diseases (like Nosema and the Acarine disease). It enables the beekeeper to identify them and also provides very practical advice on measures to prevent the spread of bee diseases. This technology is part of a series on hive management derived from the FAO publication ‘Beekeeping in Africa’.