EFB found in Bath & District

[Somerford]

Hi all

Just received an email telling me that EFB has been found in one hive at the Bath Teaching Apiary on the 15th May. Apiary is on a standstill notice and due to be checked again in 6 weeks time.

Surrounding apiaries were checked and another site was found to be infected.

regards

S

 

[Tom Bick]

This is all very worrying I fear that this may become more of a common occurrence over the next few years.

I also worry that the government cuts will perhaps hit the bee inspectors at a time when we will need more of them.

 

[susbees]

It is worrying, especially as I had looked at their website the other week and noted that they have a modicum of hygiene, something that continues to horrify me at apiary visits (having kept livestock through FMD you sort of expect some knowledge and concern in beekeepers, but if you ask at meetings how a particular disease is transmitted you VERY OFTEN just get a shrug from experienced people...and a "ask the bee inspector!!").

This is from their website: "The apiary has it’s own hive tools and uncapping fork that are kept in a bucket of washing soda along with a brush for cleaning them. All other beekeepers hive tools are banned from use in the hives.

The policy is that you bring no disease and take none away with you. Disposable latex gloves are provided to cover leather gauntlets or rubber washable gloves are available for visitors if that is more acceptable. We also have our own smoker that one of the new beekeepers is invited to light up at the start of the meeting. We check that a mobile phone is available in case of emergency and the apiary address is displayed on the notice board."

Hmm...

 

[Richard Bache]

It is worrying, especially as I had looked at their website the other week and noted that they have a modicum of hygiene, something that continues to horrify me at apiary visits (having kept livestock through FMD you sort of expect some knowledge and concern in beekeepers, but if you ask at meetings how a particular disease is transmitted you VERY OFTEN just get a shrug from experienced people...and a "ask the bee inspector!!").

To be fair, I think the Bath beekeepers have just been unlucky: the causative organism of EFB was probably there in the first place (as it so often is) and had not caused disease. I have spoken with some of the people involved in this apiary and the hive involved had been there all of last season and examined by both retired and active bee inspectors as part of their general teaching to the club, as well as master beekeepers of very high calibre- no disease was detected. I suspect (as is often the case) that the organism was there all along and a combination of factors, such as the stress of the late winter and the burden on the hive of increasing the foraging force caused Mellissococcus plutonius to get a foothold and proliferate.

 

[susbees]

I agree...my post was to reflect bad luck for an apiary which IS particularly concerned with disease spread (and that I wish that beekeepers at all apiary visits showed similar concern on disease spread). The other comments were local and not to reflect on all the people concerned on whom I could (and would) not comment.

The important thing is that it was recognised and dealt with quickly.