Post CBPV clean up

[sjt]

One of my hives has been badly affected by CBPV and I've tried a couple of ways to reduce the viral load but they're still dying.
I think I will have to kill off the colony, it has one National brood box and 2 supers. One of the supers is almost full of capped honey.
There are 6 other hives at the apiary, all fairly close together hence the reason for drastic action.
What's the best way to clean up afterwards other than burning all the frames and blow torching the boxes?

 

[Fritillary]

I also used a virucide wash/soak on mine. I don't know if anyone really knows how long the virus can survive on its own without the bees.

 

[sjt]

I also used a virucide wash/soak on mine. I don't know if anyone really knows how long the virus can survive on its own without the bees.

What virucide wash/soak do you use, the usual washing soda solution?
Is it worth using acetic acid so the frames can be re-used? (Never used it before)

 

[Erichalfbee]

One of my hives has been badly affected by CBPV and I've tried a couple of ways to reduce the viral load but they're still dying.
I think I will have to kill off the colony, it has one National brood box and 2 supers. One of the supers is almost full of capped honey.
There are 6 other hives at the apiary, all fairly close together hence the reason for drastic action.
What's the best way to clean up afterwards other than burning all the frames and blow torching the boxes?

That's a shame. Have you tried shaking every frame out? The sick bees don't get back. Obviously you would have to find the queen and keep her safe somewhere while the healthy bees got back home

 

[Fritillary]

Someone recommended Virkon, so I used that. Mine were in a top bar. I cleaned the bars and gave them a Virkon soak and also scorched them and used them again. But there are more nooks and crannies in frames I guess. I followed our inspector's recommendation to disinfect all equipment from the affected hive. I made mead from most of the honey, and made sure only I used the rest, and made candles from the wax. So far, so good: no recurrence, but I get anxious if I see even one bee looking dopey outside a hive now on inspection and often provoke even laidback ones to fly to make sure they are okay!

 

[sjt]

That's a shame. Have you tried shaking every frame out? The sick bees don't get back. Obviously you would have to find the queen and keep her safe somewhere while the healthy bees got back home

Yes I've tried that, removing the queen, shaking out at a distance, fresh frames, regularly removing the dead bees etc and it hasn't made much difference. I don't want to run the risk of it spreading to the other hives

 

[SDM]

Did you use the same hive after you'd shook.them out ? Or did they go into a new box,floor, crown board ?

The source of reinfection has to be local, IE inside the hive or your other colonies would get it too.

 

[daroco]

One of my hives has been badly affected by CBPV and I've tried a couple of ways to reduce the viral load but they're still dying.
I think I will have to kill off the colony, it has one National brood box and 2 supers. One of the supers is almost full of capped honey.
There are 6 other hives at the apiary, all fairly close together hence the reason for drastic action.
What's the best way to clean up afterwards other than burning all the frames and blow torching the boxes?

What ways did you try? I have a suspect colony so would be interested in what you tried

 

[sjt]

Yes all completely fresh hive components, I scorched the stand, put on a new clean floor, brood box, queen excluder, supers, crown board and roof. I even washed the straps I have on the hive and changed the ground cover I have in front of the hive. Obviously I have been washing suit gloves and wellies each visit but also disinfected all my tool box and contents.
I shut them in last night and am sadly just off to cull them.

 

[Fritillary]

Horrible. Very sad to hear that sjt - and hope that's the end of the CBPV for you. As I say, mine have been apparently free of the virus since one colony perished. That was more than 2 years ago now.

 

[sjt]

Thanks Fritillary it was very sad to do that to them. They were lovely bees but actually have not produced much honey...until this season when they were doing really well!
Now it will be a major clean up job, 2 x complete hives. I've ordered some Vikron which is Defra safe and after the usual scrape and flame will soak them in that. Hopefully that will be the end of it. Never had any disease in any of my hives before this.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Dreadful for you. So sorry. I have SBI looking at one of mine that I'm suspicious of. Horrid having your bees sick.