Chronic Bee Paralysis

[alancooper]

In my apiary today I saw a small swarm form a clump in a tree (midday) and when they had settled I knocked it into a box. When I returned early evening to transfer into a hive of drawn frames most were hardly mobile or dead - hairless black and shiny (classic CBP). I destroyed the swarm.
My last weekly inspection (7/6/2023) showed all my apiary hives in good health and without swarm cells. I destroyed the swarm.
I know the disease is highly infectious but am uncertain about what to do next, apart from disinfect my working tools/bee suit. Is there anything I need to do with my apiary hives to mitigate transfer?

 

[Ian123]

So was the swarm from 1 of your hives?
I wouldn’t worry whilst the disease appears can spread in an apiary I had an instance a couple of years ago of a swarm colony that succumbed but yet hives beside and around never showed symptoms.

I’d suggest keeping hives a sensible distance apart to avoid any drifting, but drones will still travel. Given how little we actually know about this disease other than that it’s simple apiary hygiene.

 

[alancooper]

So was the swarm from 1 of your hives?
I wouldn’t worry whilst the disease appears can spread in an apiary I had an instance a couple of years ago of a swarm colony that succumbed but yet hives beside and around never showed symptoms.

I’d suggest keeping hives a sensible distance apart to avoid any drifting, but drones will still travel. Given how little we actually know about this disease other than that it’s simple apiary hygiene.

I do not know where the swarm came from. Inspecting today for Queen loss might show this. Thanks for giving me your experience.

 

[Hedgerow Honey]

Found three cases yesterday, one which is probably terminal, the other two might pul through.
Removed the floors & buried the dead & fingers crossed.
These were big colonies, eight frames of 14/12 brood ready for going to Borage.

 

[alancooper]

So was the swarm from 1 of your hives?

Weekly inspections of all 10 colonies in my apiary, show no evidence of CBP. I have concluded that it was unlikely that the infected swarm that I destroyed, was from my apiary.

 

[protheroe]

there's lots of stories of cbpv infecting whole apiaries.I've seen it many times over the years but have only ever had individual hives affected with no spread to other colonies.

 

[Curly green finger's]

there's lots of stories of cbpv infecting whole apiaries.I've seen it many times over the years but have only ever had individual hives affected with no spread to other colonies.

Individual colony’s I’ve had .
One last season that was really quite bad but after requeening and comb change/hive , the new brood wasn’t effected .
Symptoms shinny bees/ hairless shaky bees , dithering bees and dead bees on the floor loads.
I’m trying to use more pairs of gloves at each individual site and washing them , could do with a washing machine for gloves .

What are folk doing to wash their marigolds , I have got some of the gloves that Ian suggested but I don’t like them so marigolds it is .

 

[Gunner]

I take two buckets with me in the car. One with washing soda solution to get off the wax & propolis. I then put the gloves in the second bucket which contains a bleach solution. When I have a bucket full they go through a quick wash in the machine before a drip dry and reuse. These are long cuff disposables and I tend to get two or three uses before they rip.

 

[Gunner]

This was my most badly affected colony out of two with CBPV. The white varroa tray contains the swept up bees from in front & beneath the hive. Shocking how quickly it took hold and this colony is now barely a frame of bees: