Afb

[Pierre19]

Hi all

I thought that this might be of interesting .....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-49343702

Pete

 

[For want of a better word]

Hi all

I thought that this might be of interesting .....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-49343702

Pete

Old uncleaned equipment has in the past been blamed for AFB infection.
Swarms from infected feral colonies have also been implicated.
However in a confirmed isolated case where there is no evidence of old kit being used and no other cases in the vicinity that could be transmitted ( feral colony or beekeepers)...
My bet is that contaminated honey is the source of infection... too many "journalists" and eco do gooders expressing an opinion that the bees are in trouble and need feeding ( reaching for the jar of imported supermarket honey they bought for £1.65 and found too sweet and disgusting to eat!!!!!)

I am getting more jaded as I pass the three score years and ten?

 

[Erichalfbee]

My bet is that contaminated honey is the source of infection... too many "journalists" and eco do gooders expressing an opinion that the bees are in trouble and need feeding ( reaching for the jar of imported supermarket honey they bought for £1.65 and found too sweet and disgusting to eat!!!!!)

I am getting more jaded as I pass the three score years and ten?

And honey processing plants
Aren’t there hotspots around these?

 

[For want of a better word]

And honey processing plants
Aren’t there hotspots around these?

I do believe they are, although some have cleaned up their act and do not leave empty drums out for the bees to get at for a free(contaminated ) meal.

Methods are now available to test honey samples for pathogen ( AFB /EFB etc) DNA, and prices for carrying out this testing are rapidly coming down.

I do hope that the UK gets its act together when we get around to divorcing our European partners, and start to protect us from contaminated imports... of all kinds

( NO intention of fanning the flames of political discontent!)

(It is hammering down and I need to get about 200 supers off!)

Chons da

 

[Rooster007]

Looks like another case of it in Wales as reported here

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-49365140

 

[Erichalfbee]

Looks like another case of it in Wales as reported here

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-49365140

I’ve been told that one Auction in Wales allows the sale of drawn brood comb!
I’m horrified

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

For some reason it's a big problem in Pembrokeshire, year upon year it flares up, a lot of it in one locality, ignorance and downright irresponsible behaviour by the same culprits, a lot of the good life outcomers down there who think that old and knackered/stinky is far more trendy than decent clean kit, this is the second incident now near my area. I know of the person who was selling this drawn and brooded comb this year - man is an utter ***** who shouldn't be allowed a worm farm let alone a colony of bees.

 

[Rooster007]

For some reason it's a big problem in Pembrokeshire, year upon year it flares up, a lot of it in one locality, ignorance and downright irresponsible behaviour by the same culprits, a lot of the good life outcomers down there who think that old and knackered/stinky is far more trendy than decent clean kit, this is the second incident now near my area. I know of the person who was selling this drawn and brooded comb this year - man is an utter ***** who shouldn't be allowed a worm farm let alone a colony of bees.

Well I am just a newbie and inherited my bees (2 hives) and have to admit the bees I inherited had been neglected, it was only late spring this year with a bit of experience that I managed to replace the old comb and give everything a good overhaul.
Scorched hives from top to bottom, brand new frames and foundation throughout and, WOW, what a difference in the bees compared to last year.
They drew everything out very quickly, filled everything up and rewarded my with 50lb of honey.

I'm not sure this would stop me getting AFB but just having and looking at clean kit makes things better IMHO.

I'm planning on replacing the hives themselves next with new ones once I've made them.

 

[philipm]

Big problem when people don't feel the need to register on Beebase. I don't give a s**t what you keep your bees in but it is good to know if they are likely to infect others in the area.

 

[Fusion_power]

I've read that AFB is a background disease spread in soil as spores that can remain alive many years until the right circumstances occur for growth. It is far more likely to be spread by beekeepers with contaminated equipment or by uninformed people feeding bees with contaminated honey. I had AFB in a colony in 1977 and burned it as the best way to eliminate the disease. A friend had a colony with AFB in 2004 which I confirmed and he promptly burned. Both cases could be traced to used equipment and/or purchased colonies of bees.

I converted all of my bees to new equipment starting in 2016. The difference is amazing compared to the previous hive performance. Fresh comb and new boxes have a distinctive effect. I'll be renewing quite a few combs next spring that were drawn in 2016.

 

[For want of a better word]

I've read that AFB is a background disease spread in soil as spores that can remain alive many years until the right circumstances occur for growth. It is far more likely to be spread by beekeepers with contaminated equipment or by uninformed people feeding bees with contaminated honey. I had AFB in a colony in 1977 and burned it as the best way to eliminate the disease. A friend had a colony with AFB in 2004 which I confirmed and he promptly burned. Both cases could be traced to used equipment and/or purchased colonies of bees.

I converted all of my bees to new equipment starting in 2016. The difference is amazing compared to the previous hive performance. Fresh comb and new boxes have a distinctive effect. I'll be renewing quite a few combs next spring that were drawn in 2016.

SCHOOLSA OUT on that one!

My money would go each way..... no statistics to prove either way.

However points raised about uninformed beekeepers ( who know better than the trained network of Bee Inspectors in England and Wales) swapping around frames and supers at collective extracting facilities.... and the new generation of ecowarriers feeding contaminated imported honey to the starving bees..... ( and recycling their cokkerpoos poos in nice clean plastic bags... then hanging them in the countryside hedgerows!!!)

All this costs us beekeepers!

Rant!!!!!

 

[mazzamazda]

You have to remember AFB and EFB are present in most apiaries, the bees just get on with it usually. I have improved things as had quite a few cases over the years, minimal now thankfully. My cases were all linked to stress and varroa, nearly all cases had a high varroa load.

 

[Erichalfbee]

You have to remember AFB and EFB are present in most apiaries, the bees just get on with it usually. I have improved things as had quite a few cases over the years, minimal now thankfully. My cases were all linked to stress and varroa, nearly all cases had a high varroa load.

Not just brood disease either
The two colonies I have lost to CBPV have all had high varroa loads

It’s not a virus vectored by the mite but the pest is a mighty stressor

 

[Antipodes]

I've read that AFB is a background disease spread in soil as spores that can remain alive many years until the right circumstances occur for growth. It is far more likely to be spread by beekeepers with contaminated equipment or by uninformed people feeding bees with contaminated honey. I had AFB in a colony in 1977 and burned it as the best way to eliminate the disease. A friend had a colony with AFB in 2004 which I confirmed and he promptly burned. Both cases could be traced to used equipment and/or purchased colonies of bees.

I converted all of my bees to new equipment starting in 2016. The difference is amazing compared to the previous hive performance. Fresh comb and new boxes have a distinctive effect. I'll be renewing quite a few combs next spring that were drawn in 2016.

 

[Finman]

SCHOOLSA OUT on that one!

My money would go each way..... no statistics to prove either way.

However points raised about uninformed beekeepers ( who know better than the trained network of Bee Inspectors in England and Wales) swapping around frames and supers at collective extracting facilities.... and the new generation of ecowarriers feeding contaminated imported honey to the starving bees..... ( and recycling their cokkerpoos poos in nice clean plastic bags... then hanging them in the countryside hedgerows!!!)

All this costs us beekeepers!

Rant!!!!!

Then you should have out there plenty of sick cases.

Facts drawn from sleaves.

You Never talk about local feral colonies, that they may have disease in their hive and spread the disease.

Snow fairys have too foul brood, SFB.

.

 

[Into the lions den]

See some speculation about honey packers etc...………….

1. This is not us who have the AFB. EFB a different matter as its the year from hell for stress.

2. Long time ago (1985?) I was on a visit to the old beekeeping unit at Cleeve on the outskirts of Perth. At the time the incumbent expert/inspector/tutor was Bob Couston.

There was a large OS map on the wall with coloured spots for foulbrood cases (mostly American) going back to before the war. The area this seasons finds have been in has a long and serious history of AFB. The spots were so numerous in the Tay valley north of Dunkeld, plus up the A9 as far as Pitlochry, that they overlapped and it was a rash. Look most like its a long standing hotspot of heaven knows what vintage and bees placed in the area are at risk. Most likely ancient ferals in trees or old house roof spaces. Lots of large country houses in the area many of which have multiple ferals of long standing (albeit probably not continuous). Stress year with lots of robbing of the sick? Bingo.


I for one do not blame the affected beekeeper(s) for this.


There but for the grace.....etc etc.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Absolutely “ there for the grace”
I think the notion that there might be some connection with packers alluded to those who import honey from all over the world and pack it for sale

 

[mbc]

You have to remember AFB and EFB are present in most apiaries, the bees just get on with it usually. I have improved things as had quite a few cases over the years, minimal now thankfully. My cases were all linked to stress and varroa, nearly all cases had a high varroa load.

Why would you have to remember something that's not factually correct?

 

[B+.]

Why would you have to remember something that's not factually correct?

Mark is in Portugal so it may be factually correct there.

 

[Poly Hive]

There was a similar map at Craibstone and the same Aberdeenshire areas were affected (infected?) year on year. I remember Bernard saying he had dealt with a case a couple of years earlier and that it had also been dealt with by his predecessor in his time. Very much a historic hot spot and he also mentioned this and Perthshire in his lectures.

PH