Bee inspector

[Gaz1]

Missed a call from the bee inspector today she said she would try to get hold of me another time. Was wondering do they do a sugar shake for Varroa? Had my inspection board in recently but not seeing much so might be good climbers or getting munched on! I haven't built up the courage to scoop up 300 bees in a jar and start shaking them yet so hoping we can do it together

 

[Pete D]

Bee inspectors look for foul broods and exotic pests. They might advise you that your varroa load is high but wont do a sugar shake

 

[Gaz1]

Ok no problem cheers

 

[theeggman]

Have you tried a layer of cooking oil on your boards so that the mites stick and don't climb back up or blow away?

 

[Karsal]

Or cheap Vaseline from the pound shop works we. Can also be used against the propolis build up under frame ends

 

[beeno]

Hi Gaz1,
If the bee inspector phones you, the chances are that you are within a 3km radius of a foulbrood outbreak. Good to get checked out. Good luck.

 

[Webby]

Are you meant to notify them if you have bees? I haven't. ��

 

[Briarfield]

You should register on Beebase.

http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/index.cfm?

 

[charlievictorbravo]

Are you meant to notify them if you have bees? I haven't. ��

It's not mandatory i.e a legal requirement to register on Beebase but I think it's advisable. You are notified of local outbreaks of disease and you get to have your bees inspected by an expert, which if you are a beginner is no bad thing. In 4 years, mine have been inspected twice - once immediately after I registered and once because I live near a port and the inspector did a one-off check for Small Hive Beetle.

It's all very painless and you might get to learn stuff by carefully watching how the inspector handles your bees.

CVB

 

[GaryB]

You should register your apiary with the National Bee Unit - https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/public/register.cfm. That way you can be notified of any diseases in your area that may affect your hives, also the bee inspection service is free, and they can offer advice if you suspect one of the notifiable diseases in your hives.

 

[bpmurray]

Don't be afraid of the sugar shake - it's actually really easy to do. What you need is:

• a dry shaking jar (plastic container with a lid with holes), preferably marked at 100ml
• a dry bowl into which you can shake the bees
• optionally a measure to transfer the bees from the bowl into the shaking jar - I find that a plastic disposable cup is ideal since it's 100ml
• icing sugar and spoon to scoop it out
• a clean white container with a little water (an inch is plenty) - it's white to allow easy identification of the varroa

The idea is to count the number of varroa on 100ml of bees, and translate that into the percentage of bees containing varroa.

• Find a frame which contains brood
• Shake the bees into the bowl - at this point you will have surprised and perhaps vengeful bees, depending on the hive temperament
• Scoop up 100 ml of the bees and pop them into the shaker and put the lid on.
• Return the bees remaining in the bowl to the hive and close it with the crown board - that tends to calm things down
• Take a tablespoon/heaped desertspoon of icing sugar ons rub it throught he holes in the lid of the jar.
• Roll the bees in it and make sure they are very well coated.
• Wait 5 minutes while your newly-sugared friends build up their hate for you (and the mites are loosened)
• Shake the sugar and mites into the water through the holes in the lid - make sure the lid is well-attached or you will end up with wet bees
• Shake it well to make sure you get them all out
• Count the number of mites floating on the surface
• Return the bees to the hive and close up. They should suffer no damage and the other bees will happily clean off the sugar.

Now you have the number of mites on 100ml or 300 bees. Divide this by 3 to get the percentage of bees with mites. For some reason they recommend multiplying this by 2 if there was brood on the frame - I don't know why this is but I'm sure someone else here will be able to explain.

As an example, say you counted 6 mites floating in the water, divide that by 3 and you have 2 = 2% of your bees are carrying mites (although with the multiply by 2 thing, it works out at 4%). I believe they recommend treating at greater than 2%.

I did this on 5 hives on Sunday - all were pretty low with a singe exception of 29 mites, or almost 20% infection. I'm treating all of them with Apiguard, both the low and high counts.

 

[B+.]

Don't be afraid of the sugar shake .

Be sure to collect the sample of bees from the super furthest away from the brood box for either sugar shake or soapy water wash tests.
These tests are best done at the start of July though.

 

[Fusion_power]

Be sure to collect the sample of bees from the super furthest away from the brood box for either sugar shake or soapy water wash tests.

One bee inspector from New Zealand gives specific cautions about collecting a sample anywhere except from the brood nest. Do you have some documentation that shows why the periphery should be used for sample collection?

 

[Eyeman]

Be sure to collect the sample of bees from the super furthest away from the brood box for either sugar shake or soapy water wash tests.

Randy Oliver on scientificbeekeeping found that sampling bees from the super gave a count that was approx ? 80% of that from the brood area.

 

[B+.]

Randy Oliver on scientificbeekeeping found that sampling bees from the super gave a count that was approx ? 80% of that from the brood area.

Quite possibly.
The infestation levels will be higher in the brood nest because mites prefer to stay close to open cells or on nurse bees. This will be affected by the amount of emerging brood (which was laid 3weeks earlier) and by bees leaving the nest to minimise the impact on the colony.
Supers give a more uniform reading because you are just looking at the phoretic levels.

 

[B+.]

Do you have some documentation that shows why the periphery should be used for sample collection?

Yes, but not with me.

 

[Gaz1]

Hi Gaz1,
If the bee inspector phones you, the chances are that you are within a 3km radius of a foulbrood outbreak. Good to get checked out. Good luck.

Now why did you have to say that! got me trying to remember back if I noticed anything odd last inspection gonna have to go have another look now

Jokes aside though how easily dose EFB spread as on the map on bee base there has been a confirmed report of it well a big yellow square where I live

 

[Gaz1]

Just spoke on the phone unfortunately I can't be there when she has a poke around my hives! have asked her to leave me some notes On any advice to be had shame really but...

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Hi Gaz1,
If the bee inspector phones you, the chances are that you are within a 3km radius of a foulbrood outbreak.

Now why did you have to say that! got me trying to remember back if I noticed anything odd last inspection gonna have to go have another look now

Take no notice of her - woman talks so much rubbish she probably has to pay landfill tax.
Bee inspectors like to make contact with new beekeepers ASAP just to get to know them, get an idea of their skill levels, pass on a lot of good knowledge, get newbies started off on the right foot and ensure they know that SBI's are not ogres to be ignored but a good resource for beekeepers, especially those not so sure of their craft. Relax!

 

[Millet]

Regardless of missing the bee inspector, what is the all the palava with varroa, to me it has got to be the easiest thing too kill, i could not be done with this sugar shake exercise, if i see a significant number on the inspection tray at this time of the year the bees will be gassed with oxalic acid every week for 1 month and then gassed accordingly until i am happy.