I feel a little harrasssed today

[MuswellMetro]

i feeling rather harassed by the NBU as this year i have received thirteen 3km notices for disease on just one apiary in Arnos Grove, Enfield Middlesex Eleven for EFB ,one for AFB and one for both AFB and EFB. My hives are fine and produced 50kg of honey each but i just dont know whteher to just close the apiary as it gets stresfull every time i inspectiary

 

[Newbeeneil]

It puts my three in the shade! Glad your bees have not succumbed tho!

 

[Hachi]

Are you under a "no move" restriction? If you are then there is really nothing you can do but soldier on and hope.

You could decide [for example] to stay and isolate the apiary completely from your others bees with kit etc and keep taking the honey. If your primary concern is the welfare of your bees, then getting the hell out ASAP is the other option.

Apologies if this sounds flippant its not meant to be but we have very little info to go on. Good luck let us know what you decide.

 

[ericbeaumont]

If your primary concern is the welfare of your bees, then getting the hell out ASAP is the other option.

Not a practical solution in the London area this year: Perthshire leads with 48 and Greater London follows closely on 41 apiaries infected; the next area is on 21, so unless MM can move out of London, vigilance is the only course.

East and North-East London and Essex is just as bad; a lot of it is attributed to one or two beefarmers who are either naive or careless, but still shift bees miles to borage.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Press on, do your best for your colonies and perhaps next year will be better. The good thing is these diseased sites have been dealt with?

 

[MuswellMetro]

Currently I am shook swarming onto new comb every March , keeping boots and suit only for that apairy and anything that goes in doesnt leave the apiary unlessto extract honey and is returned, , Fortunately it is not my main apiary as i have hives in suburban metroplitan open land near Totteridge and also outside the M25 near South Mimms Services for OSR and field beans, The NBU is drafting in SBIs from outside but due to density of hives in North london as far as i can see have only inspected 1km from each EFB outbreak. However NBU reseach is showing it is multple strains of EFB and not one outbreak, i could just up and move them as i have no movement order as i have been clean every inspection BUT my bees may still carry EFB and i would not chance cross infection with my other hives

 

[Hachi]

Sounds like you have the situation under control MM nonetheless I feel for you it is not the best situation to be in for sure. London must look like its burning with all that going on round you. Did I read somewhere, EFB can be treated chemically?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Sounds like you have the situation under control MM nonetheless I feel for you it is not the best situation to be in for sure. London must look like its burning with all that going on round you. Did I read somewhere, EFB can be treated chemically?

Yes. Tetracycline

 

[Hachi]

Yes. Tetracycline

Think my older Bro took that for zits or something sounding very familiar......

 

[MuswellMetro]

Tetracycline doesent cure it ,it is just used in autumn of light infections of EFB hold it back and shook swarm in spring, it is no longer used at lot as there is a resistant strain of EFB in certain areas and is also seems to be resevered for Bee farmers rather than us "amatuers"

 

[Speybee]

i feeling rather harassed by the NBU as this year i have received thirteen 3km notices for disease on just one apiary in Arnos Grove, Enfield Middlesex Eleven for EFB ,one for AFB and one for both AFB and EFB. My hives are fine and produced 50kg of honey each but i just dont know whteher to just close the apiary as it gets stresfull every time i inspectView attachment 21928iary

The foulbroods are the nightmare all of us dread.

For wee beekeepers such as those of us who have less than 5 hives, we have I suppose the option of the free insurance offered by being members of the Scottish Beekeepers Association and just getting the hell out of it as suggested by another forumite.

For the “big boys” where this is your primary source of income it must be devastating and a case of “damned if you do and damned if you don’t“.
I suppose you have to throw your self at the mercy of DEFRA and Beebase and follow their recommendations.

Good luck.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Sadly some very experienced bee farmers in the U.K. have been prosecuted for using such antibiotics, despite assurances from the suppliers that such treatments were legal, even the better and more experienced beekeepers have been misled into using such treatments, from what I can gather, reading the Bad Beekepers Blog.
Beekeeper Royally Stung
Posted on February 3, 2017

There is a much longer story to Murray McGregor's demise. Suffice to say that he had been given the go ahead to use the treatment for an extensive outbreak of EFB in not only his bees but his neighbours. The NBU were so tardy in supplying the antibiotic that his bees would have been lost so he sourced his own supply and put his hands up to it.
He is a forum member here

The inspectorate are leaning more and more to destruction of EFB colonies, I gather
Tetracycline has never been available to hobby keepers as far as I know

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

There is a much longer story to Murray McGregor's demise. Suffice to say that he had been given the go ahead to use the treatment for an extensive outbreak of EFB in not only his bees but his neighbours. The NBU were so tardy in supplying the antibiotic that his bees would have been lost so he sourced his own supply and put his hands up to it.
He is a forum member here

The inspectorate are leaning more and more to destruction of EFB colonies, I gather
Tetracycline has never been available to hobby keepers as far as I know

He was not prosecuted for using the antibiotic but rather not having the paperwork in order. People need to get their facts straight