EFB in my area

[wilderness]

Excellent news

 

[OXFORDBEE]

Hi,

Really glad you've been given the all clear...!

 

[VEG]

Many thanks all its a big relief.

 

[Nellie]

Good to hear VEG, I was inspecting the colony at Bath when we found EFB. Even when it's not your colony it's a horrible sinking feeling when you can see there's something definitely not right (I do have to hold my hand up and admit I didn't know it was EFB when I found it).

 

[OXFORDBEE]

But you knew what unsealed brood should look like and noticed things were amiss.

That is a big plus.

Lots of beekeepers seem to miss the obvious ...... Well done!

 

[VEG]

The SBI is in our association and said no other cases found in the area he has a few more to see though.

 

[BlidworthBees]

So glad you had the all clear.
Just hope there are no incidences in the area lurking in feral colonies or in hives of beekeepers who perhaps do not belong to your association - both under the radar so to speak.

 

[Queens59]

Glad the problem wasn't there Veg, as I newbee I dread that - I'm sorry but...' conversation...

 

[Bcrazy]

members its this time of year when disease will strike so may i advise that for all inspections from now on until the end of the month be for disease, that means shaking the bees off the comb and scrutinising the whole comb for any abnormalities. I find that smelling the frames when the bees are off helps and why not check with the lateral flow devices if you are not sure. I am glad to say they come with an idiots guide. i feel sorry for anyone who's bees contact AFB or EFB as for some stupid reason there seems to bee a stigma attached to it that the beekeeper is at fault, but what rubbish as we can not tell our bees where to feed or where to drink from.

Finally remember check for disease.

Good luck to you all.

Mo

 

[kazmcc]

Good to hear your hives are healthy. Yeay

This having to burn your hives thing....you don't burn the hives with the bees in it do you? That would be awful

 

[roche]

Karen, you might find this page has some interesting stuff:

https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/index.cfm?pageid=167

especially "Foul brood Disease of Honey Bees "

 

[gavin]

EFB (unless like the variant (whatever that might be ) found in Scotland) is treatable and tertracyclin is the way to go with strong colonies with light infection (along with new brood frame).

I've just noticed this. Scotland just has normal EFB (and thankfully the number of cases is a lot lower this year so it is coming under control). The people involved at the start thought that it was different (their reasons being the difficulty to get the LFD test to work and some diseased brood in sealed cells), but these are features of normal EFB too. Unfortunately the SBA diseases guy (numpty!) passed that view on in his first circular on the topic. The retraction and correction a few days later wasn't picked up by everyone.

Gavin

 

[kazmcc]

Thanks roche, This page will come in very useful as I know a little about the main illnesses and pests that honeybees suffer, but a bit more detail is needed.

I am definatly going to wash all our equipment regularly, as a project it is easy for these things to be ignored as no one person owns the bees. I will make this my responsibility. Great thread, even better knowing the all clear was given.

 

[m100]

its this time of year when disease will strike

Taking confirmed cases of EFB in 2009 from Beebase, there is a peak in July but is it really that significantly different compared to other months in the period from May to September

Feb 3
Mar 7
Apr 28
May 49
Jun 56
Jul 76
Aug 69
Sep 45
Oct 6
Nov 1