New hives if EFB area...

[Bunn]

Hi,

We picked up our first hives a couple of weeks ago and we're due to pick up our first nuc the third weekend in June.

Last week, we were informed that one of three of our local beekeepers had contracted EFB. The bee inspector has been around and has taken the necessary actions - digging a whole and burning all of his gear.

Unfortunately, it looks as though one of the other keepers has contracted the disease but we're awaiting an update as we haven't heard anything for a couple of days. They were apparently going to attempt a shook swarm as it was in the early stages.

The chances are, the final of the three will be in the same box as well as all hives are within 100m of each other (five hives between two keepers on the allotments and the other keeper owns a field behind the allotments with, I think, five hives).

The gentleman who owns the field has been kind enough to donate a corner to us and we've began preparing (treading down nettles, building our hives etc.), but we're naturally a little concerned about the recent news.

Given that it's a few weeks until we're due our bees, I'm assuming that any issues should have been dealt with by then but I thought I'd ask what the more experienced members would do in our shoes. Go ahead with the introduction of a new colony in the hope that it's all clear or delay.

The bee inspector is on holiday for a week but we will be making contact when she's back for for advice. Apparently she's a formidable and impressive lady who will dedicate as much time as needed to us!

Thanks,

Bunn

 

[Softley]

There are a few beekeepers in close proximity to one another - how many swarms do you think may have escaped over the years? I'd be concerned about wild colonies in the area also having EFB and passing it on to clean colonies. I don't think you can do much other than keep a close eye on any new colonies you introduce. Make sure you're insured.

Admittedly, I've never been in your shoes but I'm interested in what others have to say.

 

[pargyle]

AFB (American Foul Brood) and EFB (European Foul Brood) whilst both being notifiable are very different in what has to be done with them.

AFB in the UK requires the colony to be destroyed, frames, zinc queen excluders and comb are incinerated and the boxes sterilised.

EFB in the UK is generally treated with a shook swarm into new frames and boxes. Only in rare cases where the disease is too far gone or the colony small will it be destroyed.

So .. you need guidance from the bee inspector if you intend either bringing a new colony into an affected area or taking a swarm from the infected area. There is nothing to stop you preparing your apiary but make sure any hives you put there are sealed up if it's within the affected area as you don't want a potentially infected swarm moving in.

 

[user 6228]

According to a regional BI feral swarms are not a significant source of notifiable diseases.

 

[pargyle]

According to a regional BI feral swarms are not a significant source of notifiable diseases.

I suspect he is right and the reality is that a colony with AFB or EFB may not be a healthy candidate for swarming, indeed, I would think that they are unlikely to swarm as the queen's laying rate and the survival rate of bee larvae is much reduced.

That was not my prime concern .. my concern was that any swarm from within the affected area has the potential to become infected.

There is an interesting piece on AFB infection spreading here from New Zealand (who suffer significantly from continuing AFB infections). It makes the point that AFB is not spread by a single spore... it needs a lot of spores to be transferred (usually via infected honey either fed to or collected by bees or introduced by poor apiary hygiene).

http://www.afb.org.nz/spread-of-afb

 

[Swarm]

The area already has fifteen colonies onsite, I'd have been looking for another place for an apiary. EFB is just another reason to look elsewhere.

 

[Finman]

EFB in the UK is generally treated with a shook swarm into new frames and boxes. Only in rare cases where the disease is too far gone or the colony small will it be destroyed.

.

In most countries EFB is healed with changing queens to efb immune stock. Very easy.

.

 

[Bunn]

The area already has fifteen colonies onsite

Miscommunication - five between two keepers and the other with five to himself.

Popped to the field today to have a proper count:
Keeper no. 1 = 3 active hives, 1 nuc and 1 empty hive
Keeper no. 2 = 2 hives, 1 nuc and 1 empty hive
Keeper no. 3 = Only had 1 active hive which is now a pile of ash - won't get his remaining going again until next year he tells me

Hopefully this looks a little more suitable.

We are in the middle of the countryside so plenty of forage around. Apparently the keeper who just had to burn his hive used to have 10 hives on one of the local farmers fields but has slowly wound down over the years with age and then moved two last hives to the allotments.