Bait hive disease risk

[beebopper]

Just wondering why bait hives are not considers a risk to spread disease as often people talk about using old frames to attract bees will any diseased bees potentially spread disease to others that visit it later.

 

[drex]

Yes they could, but common sense says if there is any risk of disease in a hive, then frames are cleaned and sterilised before any re use, or even just burnt. In a bait hive I will use old comb from a healthy colony, when I remove it, as part of comb renewal cycle. If I have done it right the comb will be absolutely empty, but still have the old well used by bees smell.

 

[Millet]

Yes they could, but common sense says if there is any risk of disease in a hive, then frames are cleaned and sterilised before any re use, or even just burnt. In a bait hive I will use old comb from a healthy colony, when I remove it, as part of comb renewal cycle. If I have done it right the comb will be absolutely empty, but still have the old well used by bees smell.

It can not be learned or bought, these days it is in short supply not only in bee keeping.

 

[Plenty of honey]

Yes they could, but common sense says if there is any risk of disease in a hive, then frames are cleaned and sterilised before any re use, or even just burnt. In a bait hive I will use old comb from a healthy colony, when I remove it, as part of comb renewal cycle. If I have done it right the comb will be absolutely empty, but still have the old well used by bees smell.

Ive only ever used old clean comb, that came from healthy colonies.
Never been any issues.
Beebopper, one way to help control EFB and an older, now not acceptable way to control AFB was to give a Shook swarm (in warm weather)
and what is a swarm in a trap, a shook swarm. Same thing really, except you dont know where the bees came from, however the risks are reduced massively when you start a fresh, on clean combs with no reserves in situ. Everything they bring in will be recently sourced.
AFB needs a minimum of 40 to 50 spores to effectively infect a colony, so i am told. This is why I believe I never see any problems in swarms I've caught.
Its always a good idea to isolate any swarms you've caught to an apiary that is around 3 miles from any other colonies. Not easy but if you have these precautions in mind and check the brood after a 2 weeks , then a month, to be sure all looks clean then i would say your in the clear.
Disease use to worry me a lot in my traps, now i have an isolation apiary and know the signs and symptoms.
Thats not to say what the bees will be like. Generally the bees i catch in my traps are wide in their diversity. Some have good queens, some have terrible queens, brood has often other problems such as chalk brood and bald brood, but thats more a problem corrected by re queening. Basically, though, their miserable agressive black bees that are difficult to re queen. Their usually intent on slaughtering a new queen unless you put her under a push in cage and move at least once, or make a nucleus colony with just the nurse bees, then that usually that works. A feisty lot.
I did a write up on my blog which covers a bit on comb selection etc, making good swarm traps. It might help you catch a few more. Hope it helps you.

http://beesinbrittany.--------.fr/2012/04/swarm-traps-how-to-make-them-where-to.html ok so that wont work , so just google up "swarm traps, how to make them where to place them"

You learn a huge amount about bees and their habits by catching swarms in traps it is a lot of fun. Good luck.

 

[For want of a better word]

It can not be learned or bought, these days it is in short supply not only in bee keeping.

Temptation is to use old hives that are acquired from God only knows where as bait hives.

Anything old or new that gets anywhere near your bees should be steralised / boiled / scorched ... only use old frames from your own disease free (SBI) checked stock.

I know of at least one beekeeper who regretted using old kit... took him some years to rid AFB from his colonies!

Myttin da

 

[linoleum bonypart]

I would say badly diseased bees are unlikely to swarm.....

 

[bjosephd]

Temptation is to use old hives that are acquired from God

...is how I first read this post...! haha

 

[MartinL]

Just wondering why bait hives are not considers a risk to spread disease as often people talk about using old frames to attract bees will any diseased bees potentially spread disease to others that visit it later.

Biggest risk is to trap them and then tuck them in right next to the other hives in your apiary without a period of time in quarantine.

 

[beebopper]

I was thinking about this from a different angle. If there is any doubt re frames they should not be used.
I was thinking about diseased bees going into hive and passing to subsequent bees that go into the hive - in a similar way to people saying open feeding is a no no.

 

[Zante]

Temptation is to use old hives that are acquired from God only knows where as bait hives.

Anything old or new that gets anywhere near your bees should be steralised / boiled / scorched ... only use old frames from your own disease free (SBI) checked stock.

I know of at least one beekeeper who regretted using old kit... took him some years to rid AFB from his colonies!

Myttin da

The people who allowed me to keep bees on their land told me they still have some old equipment of their own stored away, and occasionally they find out a swarm has taken residence.
The gas canister is being refilled and the lot will be scorched before I take my new hives there, let alone my colonies.