European Foul Brood

[Vramin]

There was talk of it in the WBKA trustees meeting last year, but when I spoke to Frank about it a few months later he said the policy was the same - unless terminal or the beekeeper requested it, it was shook swarm and scorch old box.

At a Disease Recognition afternoon (run by Frank and the seasonal inspectors last summer) he said that the Inspectors in the midlands had taken the approach of destroying any hive with EFB, and the incidence had dropped to almost zero after a few years of doing this. Frank went on to say that he and his department were coming round to thinking that this could well be the way to go in the future. The impression I got was that although official policy hasn't changed, the inspectors would strongly encourage destruction for anything more serious than the most minor of outbreaks.

 

[Finman]

he said that the Inspectors in the midlands had taken the approach of destroying any hive with EFB, and the incidence had dropped to almost zero after a few years of doing this..

It would be easier to destroy only the queen.

To polish a disease that way from a district is not possible. Hives are moved all the time from place to another.

What about feral hives? Who destroys them? And buyed package bees and nucs?

 

[MuswellMetro]

At a Disease Recognition afternoon (run by Frank and the seasonal inspectors last summer) he said that the Inspectors in the midlands had taken the approach of destroying any hive with EFB, and the incidence had dropped to almost zero after a few years of doing this. Frank went on to say that he and his department were coming round to thinking that this could well be the way to go in the future. The impression I got was that although official policy hasn't changed, the inspectors would strongly encourage destruction for anything more serious than the most minor of outbreaks.

Thats the approach being taken in our ordnace survey square "Barnet & finchley" as there has been 77 outbreaks of EFB in the last five years, that is a hot spot and very few ordnace survey squares have more outbreaks in them

Although some are BKA members most are not, they tend to be large collections of Hives on allotments or gardens looked after by beekeepers taught their Beekeeping in Europe with a different veiw on EFB, It is a problem that means the RBI has to resort to formal enforcement of standstill orders as the euroean beekeepers dont comply with standstill orders and do not notify or even hide hives with EFB etc

we even tried to engage with them and arrange EFB awareness days free with invites to them from the SBI, out of 15 invited one turned up, of the twenty invites sent out to our member nineteen turned up## plus three other members as they heard there was a course on LOL

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

At a Disease Recognition afternoon (run by Frank and the seasonal inspectors last summer) he said that the Inspectors in the midlands had taken the approach of destroying any hive with EFB, and the incidence had dropped to almost zero after a few years of doing this. Frank went on to say that he and his department were coming round to thinking that this could well be the way to go in the future. The impression I got was that although official policy hasn't changed, the inspectors would strongly encourage destruction for anything more serious than the most minor of outbreaks.

That might be so - but when I pinned him down he said they would react the same as in the past, no destruction apart from the most serious cases - strongly advise is different to insist mind you

 

[REDWOOD]

I sat in a bee disease class for new beekeepers last Tuesday and our local bee inspect assured the class that only the frames and bees will be destroyed but what happens in reality can be a different thing, probably on individual cases or individuals

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I know that Ade hates destroying bees unless it is imperative:
He said that a few years ago he found EFB in a hive he was inspecting and even though he told the owner he would do a shook swarm and treat it (SBI's had the means in those days) however much he tried to convince him not to, the owner preferred to destroy.

 

[bontbee]

At a Disease Recognition afternoon (run by Frank and the seasonal inspectors last summer) he said that the Inspectors in the midlands had taken the approach of destroying any hive with EFB, and the incidence had dropped to almost zero after a few years of doing this. Frank went on to say that he and his department were coming round to thinking that this could well be the way to go in the future. The impression I got was that although official policy hasn't changed, the inspectors would strongly encourage destruction for anything more serious than the most minor of outbreaks.

Added: And as per Swarm's suggestion/question about a change in direction....(#14)

This was the gist of a conversation I had with Frank in February this year.

It's a tricky one - most people with only one or two hives would hate for them to be destroyed. Their neighbouring beeks might feel differently. Others would rather not chance any spread and would choose to destroy.

I don't think it's true to say that destruction is simpler for the inspectors - they still have to do the checks within the 3m radius of the seat of infection. That is the main burden of the workload in an outbreak of EFB - not the follow up with the unfortunate(?) beek with the original infection.

 

[bontbee]

they still have to do the checks within the 3m radius of the seat of infection. That is the main burden of the workload in an outbreak of EFB - not the follow up with the unfortunate(?) beek with the original infection.

oops, 3 km - but you knew what I meant....