European Foulbrood

[gavin]

You know that summer is well underway when the EFB reports start to come in. Tonight I received a notification of EFB within 3 km (they've reduced the circle from 5 km) of my main apiary. Now why did I keep that swarm?!! A positive in the apiary this year would cause a lot of bother given the wide distribution of my bees this summer. Looking forward to seeing Paul or one of the other inspectors before long.

A few reports of EFB are already in for Perthshire and West Lothian: https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/public/BeeDiseases/diseaseIncidenceMaps.cfm

It is a good time to do that thorough inspection of brood, shaking off all bees, looking for discoloured, twisted or dead larvae, large and small, and knocking off the cappings of any suspect sealed cells to peek inside.

[The Drone Ranger]

You know that summer is well underway when the EFB reports start to come in. Tonight I received a notification of EFB within 3 km (they've reduced the circle from 5 km) of my main apiary. Now why did I keep that swarm?!! A positive in the apiary this year would cause a lot of bother given the wide distribution of my bees this summer. Looking forward to seeing Paul or one of the other inspectors before long.

A few reports of EFB are already in for Perthshire and West Lothian: https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/public/BeeDiseases/diseaseIncidenceMaps.cfm

It is a good time to do that thorough inspection of brood, shaking off all bees, looking for discoloured, twisted or dead larvae, large and small, and knocking off the cappings of any suspect sealed cells to peek inside.

Those figures look very bad historically
Were most of the cases in a few apiaries?

[gavin]

The real figures were a lot worse than the official figures, I know that for sure. The disease was and is patchy. Some badly affected apiaries, some light, some free. Some bee farmers with few cases (I think all locally had some), some with some, one in particular (well, come to think of it, two) was/were heaving as they say. The bigger one with the big problem has done a lot to clean up. Don't guess please!

[drumgerry]

Sorry to hear that Gavin. It must be a real worry for you. Tell us how you get on and I'm sure everyone here will have their fingers crossed that you get a negative.

[The Drone Ranger]

The real figures were a lot worse than the official figures, I know that for sure. The disease was and is patchy. Some badly affected apiaries, some light, some free. Some bee farmers with few cases (I think all locally had some), some with some, one in particular (well, come to think of it, two) was/were heaving as they say. The bigger one with the big problem have done a lot to clean up. Don't guess please!

I remember the standstill orders that were in place
These diseases are no-ones fault in the sense that you, me, anyone can be hit at any time
Moving bees around increases the risks - lots of folk taking bees to heather for instance

I think the test kits should work but there was some suggestion at the time they were not reliable
They are like the potato blight ones they work well but only if you get the right sample I suppose

[madasafish]

Our local bee inspector talked to us about test kits for EFB and AFB. They actually trialled several infected hives with about 10-15 beekeepers and asked them to test them using the kits.About half failed to get a positive result from the infected hives.!

When they retried - following the instructions properly - they got positive test results.

RTFM...

[snimmo243]

I just set up a new apiary in Linlithgow this week, my previous site was close to Linlithgow but as I lost all my colonies and updated it on Beebase perhaps that why I haven't heard about it.
Steven

[Calum]

Hi
what is the procedure for treating AFB and EFB in the UK?
Here E/AFB is treated by eradication of the affected colonies (http://www.lwg.bayern.de/bienen/service/15362/linkurl_25.pdf)(either killed or if only mildly infected through [making & starving] artificial swarms) and testing of all colonies in a 1km radius (straight away and again after 2 months) + material and colony movement ban of course.
In the USA they just dose with antibiotics - so never really cure the cause, just treat the symptoms- one reason I think that their losses are so much higher there.

[snimmo243]

My understanding is shook swarm for EFB and burning of bees and equipment for AFB

[Trog]

Here's a beekeeper with a novel approach to detecting foulbrood: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-03/beekeeper-dog/4795960

[Dark Bee]

Here's a beekeeper with a novel approach to detecting foulbrood: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-03/beekeeper-dog/4795960

No reason whatever to assume it would not work. The ability of dogs to track and to search successfully under arduous conditions is amazing. Dogs have been trained to detect if accelerants were used in starting fires and to indicate on oil leaking from cables buried deeply underground. So indicating on AFB should be relatively easy. The late stages when there is a secondary infection would scarcely need a dog, the revolting sour smell would be indication enough!. The early stages would be difficult to detect and there a sniffer dog would be invaluable.

[Adam]

Gavin, that's frighteningly close. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
I have EFB 9 miles away - better - but not far enough. We seem to have a high prevalence of it in Norfolk.

[chris]

No reason whatever to assume it would not work. The ability of dogs to track and to search successfully under arduous conditions is amazing..

I have an image of a Doberman(n) in that suit climbing trees to check AFB in feral colonies.

[Jon]

I have an image of a Doberman(n) in that suit climbing trees to check AFB in feral colonies.

The multipurpose guard dog is obviously the future of beekeeping.
Sees off intruders and sniffs out foulbrood.
An Irish Varroa hound would be the breed to develop.

[Dark Bee]

I have an image of a Doberman(n) in that suit climbing trees to check AFB in feral colonies.

What an innovative idea and thank you for the two "n's". Mr Moscow Dobermann here, probably would not need the suit - most beings flee at his approach (the scrap metal merchant has descended from the holly tree - I checked last Monday).

[Dark Bee]

The multipurpose guard dog is obviously the future of beekeeping.
Sees off intruders and sniffs out foulbrood.
An Irish Varroa hound would be the breed to develop.

There are some colonies of AMM here and several apideas with queens, all quite bees. Anyone that wants to is welcome to walk in, take whatever he wants and walk out again.
On two occasions in recent years there have been attempts to burgle a neighbouring house - have you ever seen a burglar pleased to see the police arriving? Beats seeing a varroa/AFB hound in action.

[gavin]

Gavin, that's frighteningly close. I'll keep my fingers crossed.


I went through them carefully this afternoon and all seems well - except that I've far too many failed splits, now united with a queen-right box. It was cold while these early virgins were receptive. There is honey appearing in abundance, yellow-green stuff which I suspect is lime. Yay!

Sent from my BlackBerry 8520 using Tapatalk

[gavin]

Sees off intruders and sniffs out foulbrood.


Hairs stand on end when it detects neonics, and whimpers when its owner is about to do something daft. (You're part-way there.)

Sent from my BlackBerry 8520 using Tapatalk

[GRIZZLY]

Gavin ,the zone is 3 . MILES (5 kilometres). How do I know ?. because I've just been served with a standstill notice from the Agriculture, Food and Rural Communities Directorate - Animal health and Welfare division. This is following the return of 6 colonies from the OSR. I was invited to have my bees inspected as part of a Scotland wide survey into colony health. Thank the lord that I did so. Our local inspector arranged a visit which was carried out last Tuesday. Almost the last frame in the last colony inspected revealed ONE suspect cell. A prod with a matchstick revealed the stringy remains which has tested positive for AFB. I received the positive confirmation today. Without the trained eye of John our inspector, I don't think I would have spotted it until a lot later when the disease could have taken hold and infected more colonies .Treatment ?. Shut up the bees at night when they have finished flying , seal the entrance and joints , pour about a pint of petrol into the hive to kill the colony, leave until the next morning. Meanwhile dig a b----y big hole to take the hive and contents. Next morning put hive and contents into said hole and set fire to it. The ministry were very good and sent me the instructions for treating plastic hives to kill the AFB spores. Virkon S will kill EFB but is ineffective with AFB. You have to use a strong bleach for this - you know the one " kills 99% of all germs "!.
My -plans to do some cut-comb this year and take my bees to our local heather have now been put on hold until next year. What a b----r EH ?.

[Jon]

Bugger that - but with luck only the one colony affected. What is the history of that one and the comb in it?

[Dark Bee]

Sorry to hear of that Grizzly. It is not good news, hopefully discovering it as early as you did will have prevented other colonies being infected.
Last month one of the members of our association asked me to have a look at his one colony, which he had nursed through the winter - it was his first and only colony. It was not pleasant to find it infected with AFB. Incidentally when doing the "rope test" it is best to use a matchstick - arris x4 and rough surface, using something smooth and round may not draw out the cell contents and so be misleading.

[gavin]

Oh dear. Sorry John. I remember there were a couple of cases in your area back in 2009 I think. There have been local cases some within a km of mine so it will not surprise me to find it one day. That's bad news, but if you have several colonies and it is caught at an early stage it isn't the end of the world (even if it is for that colony!). In the couple of decades before 2009 it was liable to be overlooked and when eventually found it caused devastation to the beekeeper involved in some cases. One very good reason for having the proactive bee inspectorate we have now.

Murray has had this single cell detection and I think that was the end of it. Clearly though your bees have access to contaminated comb in the locality. Could be a contaminated feral site, or neglected colonies or old equipment somewhere occupied by a swarm bringing it all to life again - conceiveably decades after the last case. Murray's West Lothian case was just a few miles from an outbreak 30 years ago in the bees of the father of a beekeeper I know.

My BeeBase notification is definitely 3 km. I remember them reducing the area and didn't think that was wise - driven, I think, by difficulties with the high density of beekeepers in some places S of the border. However if your standstill applies to 5 km then that is what it is in Scotland.

[GRIZZLY]

Bugger that - but with luck only the one colony affected. What is the history of that one and the comb in it?

The colony concerned was a big unit, headed by a lovely queen. She had laid the whole broodbox right up and was bursting with bees. Very gentle. Sad to lose her. They were rehoused in a new plastic hive with new comb and foundation and had fully drawn all the foundation in both the brood box and super. I took them to the rape a week after the first four as she was a little behind the others and would develop nicely on the flow. When we emptied the brood body on to the fire there was a depth of about 3 inches of dead bees in the bottom of he box. Trying to time when the infection occurred , we came to the conclusion that they must have picked it up on the rape. They had only been back home a couple of days before we discovered the problem. The inspector put them from the plastic hive into a wooden one for burning , the ministry gave me full instructions for cleaning and disinfecting the swienty plastic one.

[Bumble]

That's sad, Grizzly. But I hope it's been caught early enough to protect your other colonies.

[Ruary]

It was not pleasant to find it infected with AFB. Incidentally when doing the "rope test" it is best to use a matchstick - arris x4 and rough surface, using something smooth and round may not draw out the cell contents and so be misleading.

A couple of points about the above: yes use a matchstick rather than a tooth pick - we found that out in Gormanston one year when we were trying to be a bit 'uper class' and sophisticated. Tried with a toothpick and the thread did not pull. re-tried in the same cell with a matchstick and a 'lovely' :-( thread occurred.
Secondly, the decaying larva / pupa has to be at a particular stage of decomposition to thread.

Gormanston microscopy workshop on Tuesday will Have AFB to examine and the procedure for slide making will be demonstated. A compound microscope with dual viewing heads will be there so you will see what the demonstrator sees and an illuminated pointer will indicate points of interest. (advertising plug now finished)

[gavin]

Some very experienced beekeepers have seen EFB and AFB for a while - years in some cases - without recognising what it is. I wouldn't denigrate anyone for missing it in those circumstances. There is nothing like personal experience of it in the presence of someone who does know about it. But all the internet-savvy people on here have little excuse!

[Dark Bee]

Some very experienced beekeepers have seen EFB and AFB for a while - years in some cases - without recognising what it is. I wouldn't denigrate anyone for missing it in those circumstances. There is nothing like personal experience of it in the presence of someone who does know about it. But all the internet-savvy people on here have little excuse!

Fair enough, what you say is of course very true. I have no intention of pursuing the matter or making any further posts on the subject. Not wishing to be condescending; I will say in conclusion that those who are fully aware of the circumstances would understand and agree with the earlier post.

[The Drone Ranger]

The Bee Farmers Association says:-
There is a lot of debate in associations concerning the merits of registration of beekeepers. The BFA is in favour of registration, and believes that all responsible beekeepers should share our view. This item explains why we are in favour.
http://www.beefarmers.co.uk/articles/p2_articleid/16
Well there once was a kettle who spent his time observing that the pot was black

[Neils]

It could have been more diplomatically stated perhaps, but I don't disagree with the principle behind it.

That said, it's currently unenforceable which is where the additional cost would come. If you make it mandatory then someone's got to be checking that the guy over there with a hive Is registered.

What's the penalty for non compliance?

[Ruary]

Gormanston microscopy workshop on Tuesday will Have AFB to examine and the procedure for slide making will be demonstated. A compound microscope with dual viewing heads will be there so you will see what the demonstrator sees and an illuminated pointer will indicate points of interest. (advertising plug now finished) So, after that plug for my workshop, how many of you actually ascend the stairs to it???

[madasafish]

It could have been more diplomatically stated perhaps, but I don't disagree with the principle behind it.

That said, it's currently unenforceable which is where the additional cost would come. If you make it mandatory then someone's got to be checking that the guy over there with a hive Is registered.

What's the penalty for non compliance?

Hanging drawing and quartering ...?

Just spent morning at Association apiary assisting in disposal of AFB combs and frames and scraping hives etc.. so grumpy.