Disease expert advice required

[mazzamazda]

I'm looking for a disease expert for help with one of my apiaries. No help, bee inspectors etc in Portugal.

Story so far, I have many colonies dotted over around 10 apiaries in Northern Portugal. One apiary is constantly getting AFB and EFB once. This has been going on for around a year, its confined up to now to just this one apiary, as in yesterday I spotted AFB and burned the hive, I last had it in May and February too, Any ideas?

If it was robbing a hive nearby, surely it would be robbed and thats it? I dont think there are rubbish dumps around.

I really don't want to give up the site as its miles away from anywhere and good for queen mating but getting closer to doing that.

I'm getting better at avoiding it spreading in my apiary so usually just lose 1 hive at a time, but have lost more. I'm not going to get complacent about it though and shocked at some of the poor advice on another post re possible AFB. I suppose unless you get AFB you dont really know and its fairly rare in the UK.

Any help with this much appreciated.

 

[Vortex]

AFB Spores can exist in a state of stasis for over 40 years.. so if you're continually getting it in a particular location then there must be a resevoir of spores near by.. within a mile or so.
Buring, in a pit and burying the, affected colonies is the only effective treatment.
AFB also requires a higher spore density to infect a colony than EFB (appox 40 spores as opposed to approx 10). In both cases it's transimitted intially by a bee carrying spores in it's honey stomach feeding larva.
Probably not the answer you wanted to hear..

 

[Russel]

Spores are also present in honey, so if they are robbing an infected hive or there is a source of honey eg. bottling plant, poeple leaving unwashed jars out etc then the cycle will continue .
Have a look at our National Bee unit site , the BBKA, Welsh beekeepers and Randy Oliver's site

 

[RogueDrone]

You are being responsible and doing the right thing, I suspect there is another apiary / BK within the region that may not be aware they have AFB and your bees are picking it up from there.
It is often the BK that bring the disease in , have you loaned or purchased any old kit that may be carrying the spores .

 

[mazzamazda]

Thanks very much for the replies. I think the best course of action is to let the bees take their own course, ie not moving them as I dont want to risk infection in other apiarys.

Agreed there must be a source of spores, not sure what though, I'd guess another beekeeper as there are lots of illegal smaller apiarys here. I do burn in a pit and cover it over, its now an impressive size. I think it was the answer i needed, thanks.

All the kit I use has been made by me, I use latex gloves, clean all my gear in 96% alcohol and it hasn't spread yet. I'm ruthless though, in May I destroyed a very strong 10 frame hive with only 2 cells of AFB, I used a test kit though, maybe not the right course of action but is it worth trying to save it.

I just find it strange it appears then i dont see it for 3 months or so, do you know the time it takes to infect a hive?

 

[SteveJ]

Do you have any wild colonies in the area?

SteveJ

 

[RogueDrone]

I have also gone through the process of burning a AFB infected colony as you say this was also only a few cell. I also torched a second but this had no notifiable disease just neither the inspector or I could work it out so "if in doubt throw it out" the ara has been clear of AFB since but we have had an importation of EFB ,someone bought a nuc from out of the area.
Good luck with finding the scource of your troubles.

 

[madasafish]

Of my 4 infected colonies I burned, two had fewer than 5 infected cells...

 

[Barbarian]

Do you think it would be helpful to set up an open feeding station a little distance from your apiary ? Observation and bee lineing at the feeding station could lead to an unknown colony.

 

[mazzamazda]

Thanks for the replies. Thats reassuring to know. For those of you who have had AFB did you have to sort it out yourselves or did the bee inspector do it? Its a hell of a service, you dont appreciate it until you dont have it. I'm pretty sure the constant brood and varroa sees the end of a strong colony here after one season so I think wild bees are pretty much history.

 

[Vortex]

So far I've escaped, but from having done the BHA training and from being just outside an EFB standstill zone this year..
Both EFB and AFB are notifiable diseases in the UK, so the Inspector torches the hives (or at least supervises it). At the point that either is confirmed, there is an automatic compulsary standstill order for 3km around the apiary imposed (it's volountary up until the inspector gets a posative with his/her test kit), and they will notify (email alert) and inspect every registered apiary (and any others they may know or be informed about) within that area.
Once they believe the area is clear then the standstill order is removed.

 

[madasafish]

Thanks for the replies. Thats reassuring to know. For those of you who have had AFB did you have to sort it out yourselves or did the bee inspector do it? Its a hell of a service, you dont appreciate it until you dont have it. I'm pretty sure the constant brood and varroa sees the end of a strong colony here after one season so I think wild bees are pretty much history.

I recognised it, called the Bee Inspector who confirmed it when she visited 2 days later. She issued a Standstill Order meaning no bees/hives or frames etc to leave site.

I then killed all the infected colonies (with petrol ) in the next 2 days and sealed the hives. She came back within a week and under her supervision (to ensure all were processed) I burned all comb and dead bees in a 1 meter deep pit. She flamed all the hive internals to eradicate the spores.. She also filled in a list of all equipment destroyed for insurance purposes and gave me a copy.. (note .. BIs MUST do the above to see it done properly and to witness destruction of comb. They fill in form to confirm it's all been done properly)..##

In the next 6 weeks, I cleaned all the infected hives out, removing charred wood and insulation and sprayed them with bleach solution, rebuilt them , put in new wire mesh ... And my one remaining hive swarmed three times to create three new colonies - two in the rebuilt hives.

Then when the 6 weeks were up,the Bee Inspector visited again and inspected each frame - without bees - for signs of AFB. Used three test kits where there was doubt. If my one remaining hive was found infected, all four hives now alive would be the same as they all came from that source.

All clear. No AFB. Standstill order rescinded.

Inspection from Bee Inspector will take place 12 months later in 2016 to check.. but I shall be VERY vigilant and clean hive tool in Soda solution between hives and hands..

## I also claimed on BBKA insurance. You need insurance confirmed (local BBKA have paid fees to BDI), BI's list of destroyed equipment and assessed condition of frames and comb...) My destroyed TBH frames were 70p each, there's a scale for Lang/National frames and foundation... BDI paid out within 4 weeks of destruction - very helpful - after hiccup over whether Association had paid insurance fee (they had).


Not an experience to recall..

BIs do a great job.

 

[mazzamazda]

I recognised it, called the Bee Inspector who confirmed it when she visited 2 days later. She issued a Standstill Order meaning no bees/hives or frames etc to leave site.

I then killed all the infected colonies (with petrol ) in the next 2 days and sealed the hives. She came back within a week and under her supervision (to ensure all were processed) I burned all comb and dead bees in a 1 meter deep pit. She flamed all the hive internals to eradicate the spores.. She also filled in a list of all equipment destroyed for insurance purposes and gave me a copy.. (note .. BIs MUST do the above to see it done properly and to witness destruction of comb. They fill in form to confirm it's all been done properly)..##

In the next 6 weeks, I cleaned all the infected hives out, removing charred wood and insulation and sprayed them with bleach solution, rebuilt them , put in new wire mesh ... And my one remaining hive swarmed three times to create three new colonies - two in the rebuilt hives.

Then when the 6 weeks were up,the Bee Inspector visited again and inspected each frame - without bees - for signs of AFB. Used three test kits where there was doubt. If my one remaining hive was found infected, all four hives now alive would be the same as they all came from that source.

All clear. No AFB. Standstill order rescinded.

Inspection from Bee Inspector will take place 12 months later in 2016 to check.. but I shall be VERY vigilant and clean hive tool in Soda solution between hives and hands..

## I also claimed on BBKA insurance. You need insurance confirmed (local BBKA have paid fees to BDI), BI's list of destroyed equipment and assessed condition of frames and comb...) My destroyed TBH frames were 70p each, there's a scale for Lang/National frames and foundation... BDI paid out within 4 weeks of destruction - very helpful - after hiccup over whether Association had paid insurance fee (they had).


Not an experience to recall..

BIs do a great job.

Well done in recognising it. You can look at as many pictures as you like but once you have it you could easily spot it, and the smell...

Interesting the BI let you keep the hives, mixed views on this, I personally burn the lot except the roof, you seem to have managed fine though.

Yes I like the VERY vigilant part, I'm sure everyone who has had AFB are never the same. I suppose its a little like motorcycling they say you arent a motorcyclist until you fall off. Not a pleasant experience either!

Well done and I'm sure you are a much better beekeeper for it.

 

[Eyeman]

Inspection from Bee Inspector will take place 12 months later in 2016 to check.. but I shall be VERY vigilant and clean hive tool in Soda solution between hives and hands..

This cleaning hand and tools between hives was commented on recently as being an*l.
I'm sure my attitude to hygiene would change if I was unfortunate enough to get one of the foul broods.
Another tool against the foul brood is regular comb exchange for new foundation.

 

[Roola]

AFB Spores can exist in a state of stasis for over 40 years.. so if you're continually getting it in a particular location then there must be a resevoir of spores near by.. within a mile or so.
Buring, in a pit and burying the, affected colonies is the only effective treatment.
AFB also requires a higher spore density to infect a colony than EFB (appox 40 spores as opposed to approx 10). In both cases it's transimitted intially by a bee carrying spores in it's honey stomach feeding larva.
Probably not the answer you wanted to hear..

Sorry but you are incorrect here... EFB is not a spore producing bacterium like AFB, It is spread through feeding by the nurse bees to the larvae where it then occupies the guts and multiplies.