Efb

[emman]

Something didn't seem right with one of my (4) gives today. What do you think does it look like EFB? Put a matchstick in and they didn't come out stringy. But the brood looked undernourished and milky. View attachment 10356

 

[BeeJayBee]

The matchstick test is for American Foulbrood.

Check out the information on Beebase https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/index.cfm?sectionid=26 as well as the pictures https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/gallery/index.cfm

What is the condition of this colony's capped brood? Is the colony low on workers?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Any doubt - call the SBI, thast's what he's there for. I would.
Hard to tell from the angle of the photograph. Give him/her a ring

 

[emman]

Thanks for the advice. Here's a clearer image. I've called out the SBI just to be sure...

View attachment 10358

 

[REDWOOD]

Looks like the brood has started to melt, Call your SBI

 

[Ruary]

Looks very like E.F.B. to me. The matchstick test is mainly for AFB, where the thread has a characteristic appearance and will pull to about one inch.
EFB has been known to thread but very much thinner.

 

[emman]

Yep that's what I thought. Will call bee inspector out ASAP.

 

[emman]

I did the matchstick test to rule out AFB, pretty sure it'll be EFB if anything...

 

[enrico]

Doesn't look like efb to me....... Let us know!
Good luck
E

 

[Chris B]

Looks like the brood has started to melt, Call your SBI

It's just brood floating in it's own food. Nothing obvious to suggest EFB.

 

[Swarm]

Each larva looks intact, is there any older open brood? Is it nicely shaped and white?

 

[Bee Bumble]

Does the brood smell unpleasant?

 

[Finman]

It's just brood floating in it's own food. Nothing obvious to suggest EFB.

I see the same. Larvae are well feeded. Looks nice.

In EFB cases the brood area is porous when some larvae die out.
Larvae are colapsed and they have lost segmented form.

Look from google biosecurity, pictures

 

[emman]

Maybe I'm a little paranoid as SBI got in touch a week ago to say there was a FB outbreak up the road. Will check to be on the safe side anyway...

 

[Mellifera397]

Might as well check just to be sure.

I didn't think it was EFB either but I have only seen photos of obvious cases so it could be early onset for all i know.

That said however, the larvae still have the michelin man appearance so it doesn't look like EFB to me.

M

 

[mbc]

The brood looks fine in the pics to me too but either way, you are right to get in touch with the bee inspector if you suspect something is amiss, its not in all walks of life that you can request a visit and an expert second opinion for free.

 

[BeeJayBee]

I think the brood looks okay, the larvae look as if they're a good colour and none of them are twisted in the cells, but it's not always easy to tell from a couple of photographs.

Maybe I'm a little paranoid as SBI got in touch a week ago to say there was a FB outbreak up the road. Will check to be on the safe side anyway...

There's nothing wrong with checking, and there's nothing wrong with being slightly paranoid when you've had a warning. Your bees will have a thorough health check by somebody who knows exactly what they're looking for.

It might be worth asking the SBI if you need to have enough spare kit to do shook swarms, or if they're happy for you to wait until there's a firm diagnosis. No point in buying extra stuff when there are no reductions anywhere, and then having it languishing in a shed.

 

[emman]

Already have loads of spare kit on the way so it won't be a problem if he thinks a shook swarm is the best thing to do. Thanks for all the comments everyone. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[Finman]

Already have loads of spare kit on the way so it won't be a problem if he thinks a shook swarm is the best thing to do. Thanks for all the comments everyone. I'll let you know how it goes.

Best medicine to EFB is to change the queen.
BUT it is 100% sure that there is no disease in those picture larvae.