EFB

[Griffo]

There is EFB in my area but my hives appear to be clear. Could I still extract honey in the event that they catch it?

 

[E&MBees]

One of my colonies had EFB earlier in the year. Prior to destruction, the SBI gave me a license to extract the spring honey. It was time limited. I was advised to cut out the wax and crush the comb in a muslin cloth rather than use an extractor and risk cross contamination. The frames, wax and muslin cloth had to be returned to the hive and burnt along with the dead bees.

 

[polymath]

There is EFB in my area but my hives appear to be clear. Could I still extract honey in the event that they catch it?

If EFB is in your area the first question is have you been notified by bee base. If yes then you are likely to get a visit from the SBI, if that is planned wait until after ideally, then you really know you are clear. You say they are in the clear, then yes you can go ahead and extract as normal. We have a lot of EFB in Surrey currently unfortunately but you can extract as normal.

 

[Hachi]

Seems to be having a bit of a resurgence lately, as it looks like Laurence of BMH has just got the all clear from when he had a bout recently according to his YooToobe channel.

 

[Belgianbeekeeper]

Good sticky,i learn something new every day here,need bit of googling at times,???EFB??,lol,but found it.Seems our laws are bit strickter in this case.Once someone report a possible infection a 6 km circle gets closed for any movement of bees/products/materials,the hives getting tested,if possitive the lot gets killed and burned,all other beekeepers in the circle get inspected and sampled as well if possitive an extra circle from that location added,all his stuff gets illiminated too,the lot/everything=everything on that location,bees,hives,frames,you name it.

 

[ericbeaumont]

hives

Why do they burn hives when scorching or bleaching poly is sufficient?

Is there compensation for destruction?

 

[Belgianbeekeeper]

Why do they burn hives when scorching or bleaching poly is sufficient?

Is there compensation for destruction?

lol,think y've to ask our politicians and scientists that question,to make absolutely sure i guess.It very rarely occurs here,so not yet have been in contact directly wih the situation,but from what my compagnon told me,you get compensated "per hive",redicusly low not even covering a quarter of the cost of a decent hive,for the side equipment,as spare frames,not in use supers and such you get zip.That's for instance why we keep our not in use and spare materials at a different location then the hive stands,and the hives themself are devided over 3 different locations,cause they destruct per location and not per owner/beekeeper.I also strongly believe that cause of these measures not all cases getting reported,let alone the recent hype where every greensock feels the need to place a hive in his backyard without the slightest notice and most certainly not registered,don't even want to start to describe the horrible situations we ran into last couple of months,when those finally come beg for help.

 

[Mabee]

Seems to be having a bit of a resurgence lately

I’m not surprised, the Facebook beekeeping groups are full of posts at the moment of people showing their bees open feeding by cleaning out wet supers.

 

[mbc]

I’m not surprised, the Facebook beekeeping groups are full of posts at the moment of people showing their bees open feeding by cleaning out wet supers.

Yes, this infuriates me and also leaves me feeling pompous every time I feel obliged to point out the bad practice, but its one of the most self centred and thoughtless acts you can do in beekeeping and should be near top of the list for education.
I lost several hives at the end of the last century to afb and found out my neighbour who ran over a hundred hives, and also did a bit of buying up cheap colonies straight from pollination in Kent, had an open barn full of uncovered wet supers.
All respect gone in an instant never to be gained back

 

[Newbeeneil]

I once drove past the house of a senior member of a BKA at harvest time and could see what looked like a swarm at the side of his house. On closer inspection it was his extractor that he had left out for the bees to "clean"!
I gave him a piece of my mind that was not appreciated!!

Edit. I am embarrassed to say that I accidentally left the door of my honey room (which is about 100m from 3 of my hives) slightly ajar (10mm) last week after a days extraction. When I went back the next day the bees had found it and were having a field day cleaning every surface with any vestage of honey. I shut the door and went back that evening and shone my headlights in through the door. Most of the bees came out but I had evict the rest manually.
I have had to seal the door with tape ever since as the scouts are very persistent!!!

 

[Mint Bee]

lol,think y've to ask our politicians and scientists that question,to make absolutely sure i guess.It very rarely occurs here,so not yet have been in contact directly wih the situation,but from what my compagnon told me,you get compensated "per hive",redicusly low not even covering a quarter of the cost of a decent hive,for the side equipment,as spare frames,not in use supers and such you get zip.That's for instance why we keep our not in use and spare materials at a different location then the hive stands,and the hives themself are devided over 3 different locations,cause they destruct per location and not per owner/beekeeper.I also strongly believe that cause of these measures not all cases getting reported,let alone the recent hype where every greensock feels the need to place a hive in his backyard without the slightest notice and most certainly not registered,don't even want to start to describe the horrible situations we ran into last couple of months,when those finally come beg for help.

what the registration situation in Belgian like?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I once drove past the house of a senior member of a BKA at harvest time and could see what looked like a swarm at the side of his house. On closer inspection it was his extractor that he had left out for the bees to "clean"!
I gave him a piece of my mind that was not appreciated!!

Edit. I am embarrassed to say that I accidentally left the door of my honey room (which is about 100m from 3 of my hives) slightly ajar (10mm) last week after a days extraction. When I went back the next day the bees had found it and were having a field day cleaning every surface with any vestage of honey. I shut the door and went back that evening and shone my headlights in through the door. Most of the bees came out but I had evict the rest manually.
I have had to seal the door with tape ever since as the scouts are very persistent!!!

I remember years ago during an extraction session, I had a stack of extracted wet supers outside, all tightly cinched up and bee free waiting to be moved back up to the store, I had to pop upstairs to 'drop the kids off at the pool' and heard a loud 'klunk' from outside, when I came downstairs (a tad lighter) there was a loud noise of bees and when I looked out, the stack had slipped and the bees had found their way in - the garden was manic, even my neighbour two doors up couldn't go outside because of the bees in her garden, it took hours for things to settle down again.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Could I still extract honey in the event that they catch it?

If your bees are confirmed with EFB, then you'll need permission from the NBU to extract. If not, just shake away

 

[Belgianbeekeeper]

what the registration situation in Belgian like?

couple years ago that was close to a 100%,everybody new took a course,joined an association en registered his beestand(s),now,i don't dare to make an estimated,Jim,jJohn and Sweet Clarinet putting couple hives in the backgarden,no course needed,they find it on the internet,a hype is a hype,there's no controle over it.