Rubber plantations are best suited for commercial beekeeping which account for 42-47;of the total honey produced in India. Losses of colonies of Apis cerana indica due to severe outbreak of Thai sacbrood viral (TSBV) disease caused an alarming situation recently in rubber plantation based apiaries in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka states. Continuous death of brood in propupal but unsealed stage followed by complete desertation of infected colonies was reported by the beekeepers in the rubber growing areas during November and December, 1991. The causative agent was identified as Thai sacbrood virus. Studies on the occurrence and devastation of TSBV disease revealed that 76.71;colonies of Apis cerana indica were lost due to the disease. In Kerala state, Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram and Kottayam districts accounted for 95.36;, 94.27;and 93.65;loss of bee colonies respectively. In Tamil Nadu, Kanya Kumari district accounted for 90.04;loss of bee colonies. In Karnataka state, D.K. district accounted for 40.32;loss of colonies. In rubber plantations, where migratory beekeeping is commonly practised, potential danger of spread of this brood disease, therefore, cannot be ignored. However, studies are in progress at RRII to identify and establish Indian honey bee colonies which are unaffected by the disease.