important EFB questions

[preyingmantos]

What temperature/conditions kills EFB spores? can i clean my frames by boiling? How long for?

How effective is flaming? Surely there must be nooks and crannies that the flame cant get to?

EFB seems to be stress related? and if thats the case then it can be masked. If its masked and then I use a common spinner do all the frames get infected and spread through out my other colonies?

I killed the queen on a suspect EFB colony, once the new queen got mated and started laying the brood looked perfect again. The EFB is dormant in that colony now and should still be shook swarmed regardless right?

A shook swarm, surely the bees still carry the spores in their honey gut? no?

any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[drstitson]

you have been visited by an inspector/reported your suspicion?

are you confusing EFB and chalk brood?

Read the FERA guidelines.

 

[preyingmantos]

have you got a link please?

 

[preyingmantos]

yes ive been inspected and yes im sure its not chalkbrood.

 

[drstitson]

http://beebase.fera.defra.gov.uk/


there is a statutory requirement to inform FERA/Bee inspector if you suspect foul brood.

 

[drstitson]

if inspector confirms foul brood then you MUST follow his instructions to the letter.

 

[Hivemaker.]

I killed the queen on a suspect EFB colony

Could of just been a failing queen.

 

[region2]

Frames, wax and bees are all burnt (plus fabric quilt if you have one), the rest, including the stand, is scorched...

I'm confused - has the OP been inspected and FB found?

R2

 

[drstitson]

if low level infection has been treated with antibiotic you still want to get rid of infected comb by shook swarm and then BURNING the old combs/frames.

 

[preyingmantos]

Which is exactly as i have done. but with respect you havent actually answered any of my questions, i even asked the inspector what temperature efb spores are killed off at as i would like to disinfect all of my frames for next year on all of my colonies. but the inspector was unsure (only knowing what AFB spores were killed at)

 

[drstitson]

OP - please clarify as to why you came to suspect EFB.

 

[preyingmantos]

Yes efb was found and im currently on lockdown. minor infection in one cell (which was tested on a stick and sent to a lab). Obviously im worried because i wouldnt have spotted this and i use common frames and quite often swap around brood etc. and it got me thinking from a minor infection such as this it could have spread, unaware by me to other colonies.

 

[drstitson]

frames and comb (and boxes) - 80% acetic fumigation

frames alone - boil with soda.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Which is exactly as i have done. but with respect you havent actually answered any of my questions, i even asked the inspector what temperature efb spores are killed off at as i would like to disinfect all of my frames for next year on all of my colonies. but the inspector was unsure (only knowing what AFB spores were killed at)

EFB does not have spores,bacteria,killed by boiling water or just bleach.

 

[preyingmantos]

thankyou. if boiling water will suffice then why did i have to cremate all my frames/crown board/excluder?

 

[Hivemaker.]

thankyou. if boiling water will suffice then why did i have to cremate all my frames/crown board/excluder?

Because the law says you have to,not crown board though,quilt if used.

 

[drstitson]

proven symptomatic infection must be treated ie by burning.

sterilisation to prevent transmission of bacteria in asymptomatic cases is as discussed.

key difference is between treatment and prevention

 

[preyingmantos]

got you, very informative thanks. Im interested in the sterilization by means of gamma rays, that kit has to be pretty expensive though right?

 

[MandF]

Why burn the excluder? If you do a shook swarm you only need to destroy the removed combs/frames? The rest of your equipment can be scorched, and gloves, hive tools etc cleaned with washing soda.

 

[Nose Ma]

Gamma radiation!?!

got you, very informative thanks. Im interested in the sterilization by means of gamma rays, that kit has to be pretty expensive though right?

Expensive and dangerous. Gamma radiation sterilises because it kills things by disrupting DNA, and burning. It's not nice.

I would stick with water/soda/acetic as above. Much cheaper and much safer.

If you want to be mental and go the gamma route you could, as a first step use a microwave. But you will need to soak the wood or it will catch fire. Then it will warp, and possibly explode as the water inside boils. So that's not a great idea either.

Or, as Thorium 232 emits gamma rays, and is found in gas light mantles you could fashion your own using several thousand of them, just burn and chemically process. Don't forget a good mask and lead lined clothes, ingesting it is Very Bad Indeed.

Uranium also emits them, so if you have access to a small lab, a gaseous diffusion plant and a lot of pitchblende you could make one from that.

Don't forget the lead shielding you'll need. Assuming you enjoy life and/or wish to have (more) children.

In short - don't. There are much cheaper and safer things to do this. Even burning the lot would be cheaper and safer.