Phil280
New Bee
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2011
- Messages
- 91
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Vienna/Austria
- Hive Type
- Other
- Number of Hives
- 15
Hi there.
I find it a little strange that beekeepers the NBU and the BA are so into trying to fight disease and yet beekeepers themselves set bait hives with old comb. It seems contra productive.
If you set up a bait hive with old comb and you have latent AFB or EFB you will without doubt spread the disease far and wide because before the odd scout finds the hive and reports back you will have plenty of other bees randomly flying by and checking the hive out....returning home with a packet of spores.
Looking at the Beebase map there is a serious AFB and EFB problem in the UK and I would not be surprised if it were at least partly due to leaving old comb hanging around...be it in an open hive or outside for the bees to clean after extraction. I consider that bad practice.
The legal situation in Austria is...all unpopulated hives have to be closed (bee-proof), leaving old comb out for birds and bees is prohibited.
I do however think - although I do not do it - that a freshly disinfected hive with disinfected frames and new foundation could be left open with lure. I know that this is not as attractive for bees but I think safety first....for me and the other beekeepers around my apiary.
Greets
Phil
I find it a little strange that beekeepers the NBU and the BA are so into trying to fight disease and yet beekeepers themselves set bait hives with old comb. It seems contra productive.
If you set up a bait hive with old comb and you have latent AFB or EFB you will without doubt spread the disease far and wide because before the odd scout finds the hive and reports back you will have plenty of other bees randomly flying by and checking the hive out....returning home with a packet of spores.
Looking at the Beebase map there is a serious AFB and EFB problem in the UK and I would not be surprised if it were at least partly due to leaving old comb hanging around...be it in an open hive or outside for the bees to clean after extraction. I consider that bad practice.
The legal situation in Austria is...all unpopulated hives have to be closed (bee-proof), leaving old comb out for birds and bees is prohibited.
I do however think - although I do not do it - that a freshly disinfected hive with disinfected frames and new foundation could be left open with lure. I know that this is not as attractive for bees but I think safety first....for me and the other beekeepers around my apiary.
Greets
Phil