gavin
06-06-2014, 04:11 PM
Hi Folks
Just a gentle reminder, especially those in Tayside, Aberdeenshire, Fife and West Lothian, that this is the best time to be looking through brood for signs of disease. Catch it early, catch it now and you may save your bees as well as prevent spread. There are cases appearing near Dundee, Errol, Alyth and West Lothian so far. Protect your queen, open up a gap in the brood box, and shake the bees off brood frames, checking carefully for abnormalities in open and sealed brood.
The NBU pamphlet has much additional information on the foulbroods:
https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/downloadDocument.cfm?id=7
and there is a series of photographs here that show well what you need to look for:
http://www.sbai.org.uk/sbai_forum/showthread.php?541-A-frame-of-EFB-from-2009
and another opportunity to test your prowess in spotting brood disease:
http://www.sbai.org.uk/sbai_forum/showthread.php?337-Diagnose-this
If you do find something suspicious, is it sacbrood? If not, it is a legal requirement to get in touch with the inspection service:
BeesMailbox@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
After such a good winter for bee survival it might be expected that disease levels are higher, so it is well worth checking. If you are taking in unknown swarms it is worth not feeding for several days, providing only foundation, and, where possible, siting away from your main apiary until you know its status.
Happy hunting!
G.
Just a gentle reminder, especially those in Tayside, Aberdeenshire, Fife and West Lothian, that this is the best time to be looking through brood for signs of disease. Catch it early, catch it now and you may save your bees as well as prevent spread. There are cases appearing near Dundee, Errol, Alyth and West Lothian so far. Protect your queen, open up a gap in the brood box, and shake the bees off brood frames, checking carefully for abnormalities in open and sealed brood.
The NBU pamphlet has much additional information on the foulbroods:
https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/downloadDocument.cfm?id=7
and there is a series of photographs here that show well what you need to look for:
http://www.sbai.org.uk/sbai_forum/showthread.php?541-A-frame-of-EFB-from-2009
and another opportunity to test your prowess in spotting brood disease:
http://www.sbai.org.uk/sbai_forum/showthread.php?337-Diagnose-this
If you do find something suspicious, is it sacbrood? If not, it is a legal requirement to get in touch with the inspection service:
BeesMailbox@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
After such a good winter for bee survival it might be expected that disease levels are higher, so it is well worth checking. If you are taking in unknown swarms it is worth not feeding for several days, providing only foundation, and, where possible, siting away from your main apiary until you know its status.
Happy hunting!
G.