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[clv101]

Taken from the What did you do in the Apiary today? thread:

It is suspected that there was a jar/barrel of imported honey left empty but uncleaned - suspicion suggests Leek - two miles away.. No prior history in the area.

Am I right in thinking AFB spores are common in imported honey? Does that suggest AFB is common in "EC and non-EC" hives (wherever they are!) or does a single bad hive/batch contaminate a huge quantity of otherwise clean honey?

Given than jars and bottles are now recycled in most counties by leaving them, often unwashed, in a black/grey/blue/green [delete as appropriate] box on the pavement it seems like there's a real risk of AFB contamination.

Banning honey imports seems impossible as indigenous production is far short of demand - but would it be feasible to test and ban imports of AFB tainted honey?

 

[madasafish]

I believe in the USA and much of South America, they treat AFB with antibiotics. In China, I have no idea but much imported honey is probably of Chinese origin. There have been cases in the US of large scale evasion of import restrictions on Chinese honey.

So AFB spores may be in any honey ,however labelled, unless you can trust the importer to have 100% traceability ( and see where that got us on beef)
and not to use honey from the Americas or China to start with.

And if it's UK honey, to ensure the supplier has regular (annual) hive inspections and tests for AFB/EFB etc..

Since there are people who insist on feeding bees bottled honey....and there is one on a certain natural forum who thinks UK treatment for AFB is wrong and we should let bees evolve to grow resistance (by the year 1,002,013AD presumably) then ....

 

[davnig]

Attended recent disease workshop at Harper Adams and the lecturer (RBI) said that just about all imported honey had traces of AFB.

Does boiling, oven treatment kill the spores??

 

[Ruary]

Does boiling, oven treatment kill the spores??

not without destroying the honey.

The best (most accurate) quote I ever heard on AFB was that AFB is a very serious bee disease.However, it is very difficult to infect a colony with it; BUT beekeepers seemed to be very good at doing just that!

 

[mbc]

not without destroying the honey.

The best (most accurate) quote I ever heard on AFB was that AFB is a very serious bee disease.However, it is very difficult to infect a colony with it; BUT beekeepers seemed to be very good at doing just that!

Lol.

re. killing the spores, irradiation is the way to go.

 

[oliver90owner]

Read up on past reports on AFB outbreaks - certain 'hot spots' (Walligford was the main culprit IIRC) around certain honey importers. I believe the authourities got heavy (eventually) with one importer but have not read of any reductions in infection rates in the areas of their operations (must be honest and mention I have not looked specifically for this).

AFB produces spores which are very resilient and can remain viable for decades.

 

[madasafish]

We burned all the frames in the affected hives: including those with honey. (The BI did say we could extract them -in theory at least)

 

[davnig]

not without destroying the honey.

The best (most accurate) quote I ever heard on AFB was that AFB is a very serious bee disease.However, it is very difficult to infect a colony with it; BUT beekeepers seemed to be very good at doing just that!

I meant the empty jars

 

[VEG]

I thought with AFB everything was burned if not then what's the point

 

[oliver90owner]

Does boiling, oven treatment kill the spores??

Plenty of information on the web.

The answer is yes - but only if long enough or hot enough.

 

[madasafish]

I thought with AFB everything was burned if not then what's the point

All hive parts have propolis and wax stripped off by hand and then scorched by a gas blowlamp by the BI. The remaining boxes look charred. The QEs,roofs,crownboards and floors are all treated. As are landing boards and hive stands.

 

[VEG]

I would still burn the lot why take the risk

 

[itma]

...
Does boiling, oven treatment kill the spores??

It sounds as though you may be unfamiliar with the Government advice regarding sanitising/sterilising used equipment.
There is a particularly relevant "fact sheet" available for free download
https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/downloadDocument.cfm?id=423

Note that boiling in plain water (or steam cleaning) is NOT enough to deal with AFB spores.


For the info of folks who have already downloaded the 'sterilising' document - it should be noted that it has been revised/updated in May this year (2013).

 

[madasafish]

Beebase Info on AFB:
https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/public/BeeDiseases/afbReport.cfm

https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/public/BeeDiseases/colonyReport.cfm


https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/public/BeeDiseases/diseaseIncidenceMaps.cfm

 

[Finman]

.
UK has their own systems from granpo to son. Many countries go with another tactics and save boath bees and furnitures.

.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Attended recent disease workshop at Harper Adams and the lecturer (RBI) said that just about all imported honey had traces of AFB.

Does boiling, oven treatment kill the spores??

The answer is yes - but only if long enough or hot enough.

Long and hot - in an incinerator perhaps?

 

[ichbinpaul]

I would have thought that Pressure canning treatment would sort the spores out decently, ie place said jars into a pressure cooker for 60 mins for a pound size jars and 90min for litre size, the 123 degC to 126 will do the same to the stubborn Botulinum spores, thus canned/Jar'd goods stay good for the longest time!.

 

[VEG]

Mmmm a hive in a can it could catch on lol

 

[ichbinpaul]

Mmmm a hive in a can it could catch on lol

Well! if sterilizing hives an industrial pressure cooker will do the job! I have an idea- a mobile unit!!! Nah Petrol and be done.

 

[Ruary]

I meant the empty jars

Well if it is only the empty jars, give them a good soak in Domestos diluted 1:9 and leave them soak for at least 30 minutes.