Efb

[dudley]

Yesterday I bumped into a big bee keeper who supplies all the usual outlets and shops in my area with honey, he was selling his honey at a boot fair..Introduced myself as his neighbour who also has bees and we generally chatted for a bit about our apiary locations how long we had been keeping bees etc. But then he dropped a bomb shell and said, "I take it you are aware I have EFB?" Turns out the bee inspector has found EFB at one of his an apiary's which is only about 4 miles from my hives. This has not just happened either, the inspector is monitoring his other clean hives.
The inspector only gave me an inspection visit last year, so he knows about me and where I am. I cannot for the life of me think why he has not been in touch to warn me, or wants to check on my hives again.
Is he not doing his job? or is it a matter of keep quiet about it?
Out of interest, we are talking, Pluckley, Smarden, Headcorn area which is in Kent.
Steve.

 

[madasafish]

"Yesterday I bumped into a big bee keeper "

You may have answered your own question...

 

[starflex]

Yesterday I bumped into a big bee keeper who supplies all the usual outlets and shops in my area with honey, he was selling his honey at a boot fair..Introduced myself as his neighbour who also has bees and we generally chatted for a bit about our apiary locations how long we had been keeping bees etc. But then he dropped a bomb shell and said, "I take it you are aware I have EFB?" Turns out the bee inspector has found EFB at one of his an apiary's which is only about 4 miles from my hives. This has not just happened either, the inspector is monitoring his other clean hives.
The inspector only gave me an inspection visit last year, so he knows about me and where I am. I cannot for the life of me think why he has not been in touch to warn me, or wants to check on my hives again.
Is he not doing his job? or is it a matter of keep quiet about it?
Out of interest, we are talking, Pluckley, Smarden, Headcorn area which is in Kent.
Steve.

At "about 4miles", I think you will be outside the no-movement circle which will be centered on this beekeepers infected apiary. I believe this is a 5 km radius. I fell within such a radius last year, and was duly inspected.

The inspector will be doing his job, but you are just outside the area that will be getting lots of inspections.

Others may be able add further comment.

 

[Poly Hive]

EFB comes in two degrees as it were, treatable and not.

Obviously depending on the degree will dictate the BI reaction to it.

I would relax some but be aware of course. For that matter if you are that worried why not invite the BI to come and inspect again and explain why you want this. He may say you don't need him or he may want to.

PH

 

[Hebeegeebee]

dudley, without knowing it you could move your bees into the danger zone.
What about the beebase map? Does it tell you antthing?

 

[Adam]

I agree with above, they inspect within a radius and you are probably outside that.

Adam

 

[Adam]

At "about 4miles", I think you will be outside the no-movement circle which will be centered on this beekeepers infected apiary. I believe this is a 5 km radius.

PS: As far as I'm aware, their is no such thing as a mandatory no-movement circle. The standstill order applies to the infected apiary only. No one else is directly affacted by that order, unless it's Small Hive Beetle. That said, you will get a visit if in the vicinity, just that their is no formal standstill on you.

Adam

 

[gavin]

The order applies to the beekeeper, but the inspectors will also track down beekeepers within the 5km circle and issue them with Standstills too. Unless of course they are overwhelmed and can't keep up

I've had one as a result - three years ago - of picking up a cast that was within a just-declared 5km zone. It wasn't lifted until they had satisfied themselves that my colony was free.

G.

 

[dudley]

Thanks for all that guys, I didn't know just how widespread EFB actually is. When I looked at the beebase map the yellow squares for confirmed cases are everywhere. Although the scale is not great there are 3 right on my area.
Makes me think twice about collecting swarms again next year, I think I may just concentrate on on expanding from my own colonies.
I also have pigs, and for disease control reasons it is a closed heard, so I don't know why I should think differently about my bees.
I suppose it is because I have not seen my pigs flying. YET!
Thanks Steve.

 

[VEG]

The inspector can't tell you who has efb due to data protection laws. I know this as a chap who had it near me phoned me up himself to tell me and said the inspectors cant inform you who has it only that it is in the area around you.

 

[dudley]

The inspector can't tell you who has efb due to data protection laws. I know this as a chap who had it near me phoned me up himself to tell me and said the inspectors cant inform you who has it only that it is in the area around you.

Data protection, what a load of red tape. Data protection is a real necessity with all the info people have on us but they take it too far and individual departments make up their own rules. If any of my other farm animals had foot and mouth my identity would not be protected by DEFRA.
Steve.

 

[darrenperrett]

Data protection, what a load of red tape. Data protection is a real necessity with all the info people have on us but they take it too far and individual departments make up their own rules. If any of my other farm animals had foot and mouth my identity would not be protected by DEFRA.
Steve.

I`m not sure why that data is protected.
If i had EFB i`d ring my local BKA to stop anyone moving their hives too close untill it was sorted.
Looking on Beebase there have been a few EFB diagnosis quite close too me (10 miles) and i`ve heard nothing about them.
Why is there such a stigma with foulbrood ?

Darren.

 

[hoomin_erra]

I`m not sure why that data is protected.

Probably to stop idiots panicking and moving their bees from within the 4 mile radius away thus spreading the foulbrood if they already have it.

 

[oliver90owner]

If any of my other farm animals had foot and mouth my identity would not be protected

One reason may be it is simply the location is the important factor. The particular beekeeper may have bees on several sites over a wide area and only one apiary (hopefully) might be affected.

Last year a local beekeeper had AFB and my colonies were not inspected at that time. He told me, when I saw him in town, some time after the event. I did not ask where his bees were, but assumed his local ones were affected; it could have been bees at the far end of the grid square for all I know. Some of my bees could have been quite close to his affected colonies, but as it was there were none at my closest site to him.

Another is the scale of the problem in monetary terms and rate of spread of the outbreak - even international movements are affected with F&M, not only the local outbreak area.

Regards, RAB