Secret of EFB in Britain

[Hivemaker.]

As I said maybe they don't want people not reporting suspect colonies as there is now a 'scorched earth' policy in place.

I envisage a lot of problems with not reporting if this is their policy.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It does depend on interpretation, especially whether that option lies with the beekeeper or FERA. It isn't specified so I can see the ambiguity.

From the legislation the either/or option lies with FERA the same as the Customs and Excise Management act, in some cases empowers me to either arrest and prosecute or fine (the 'customer as I now have to call them) cannot make the choice - the wording is the same in that case as the Bee Act.
although I have heard of a case where a beekeeper demanded destruction rather than treatment as he wasn't prepared to pay for new frames! - and it is within their right to go for the harder option.

 

[itma]

Wrong - new policy with FERA for EFB now is destruction in all cases.

Policy change as from this year ... last I can find at the moment is a report from WBKA meeting at the beginning of the summer when the intention was to make it 'destroy in all cases', this was confirmed in a disease recognition workshop I went to

Until there is some independent confirmation, I cannot believe that you were told the truth.

Such a policy would be absolutely contrary to recent policy development, and their "Review Group"s findings.

Anyone else remember this 2013 thread ? http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=22052


I would quite understand if the NBU's policy was that their patience with some beekeepers had its limits, and that destruction would be chosen based on the historical context, and not just the severity of the infection discovered.
But I simply don't believe that a 100% destruction policy would be suddenly and silently introduced.

Incidentally, the colony destruction rate looks to have recently been about 40% of infected colonies (8 out of 22 in Wales in 2011).

 

[mbc]

I envisage a lot of problems with not reporting if this is their policy.

Perhaps a better policy would be to offer replacement frames to shook colonies on to.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Perhaps a better policy would be to offer replacement frames to shook colonies on to.

That would make more sense.

 

[Finman]

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I think that policy should be such that British beekeepers read what other countries say about the disease.
At same time. They should ask from professional beekeepers how they have handled the cases and how they have succeeded to get rid of the symptons.

If symtoms are bad, it is naturally to take sick larvae off from hive and save what can be saved.

Then get such queen outside your genepool, what is tolerant to disease.

What the apiary really needs, is new blood/genes. It does not help if you chage the queen an it has mated in the yard when boath drones and perhaps queen mother as sensitive genes.


I got rid of chalkbrood in 4-5 years when I mated new queen in the nucs which chalkbrood dust on bottom. Those nucs which become sick, I killed at once.

First year I killed 80% out of queens what I reared from hive A.
There was another huge hive, which daughters 20% got disease.
Then I bought from Italy queens and from Finnish queen breeders.

Final phase was that if brood area show porous appearance. I eliminate them from mating and queen rearing.
Idea come from Etiopia. Chalkbrood was only in drone brood.

Now I have had 10 years almost pure hives. If I see chalkbrood on entrance, I change the queen as soon as possible.

Idea is to eliminate disease nontolerant drones too from apiary.

When I have bought new queens from professional queen breeders, quite often they are nontolerant.

The key is spare hives and spare queens. and selection. If queens have problems, change them.

.You cannot change climate but queens and genepool you can change in couple of years.

********
-AFB does not work that way.

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[Finman]

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My suggestion..

If somebody has EFB, you have a change to test new queen which should be.
Put a new queen into sick hive and look what happens...Cut off drone combs too.

You need only a one contaminated frame in a nuc. If it does not work, change again the queen.

But as it is said in EFB papers, the disease mostly goes way by itself. That happens to chalkbrood cases too. But cold 3-frame nucs are not friendly places to rear brood, and disease chould appear easily.


I believe that if you have bee strains, which are tested in sick hives, that queen is tolerant to EFB, that would be a proper way to treat disease than burn hives.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Until there is some independent confirmation, I cannot believe that you were told the truth.
.

I was told by the regional bee inspector for Wales (he also announced this in a trustees meeting of the WBKA). I'm awaiting his reply to my email to confirm that either this is still the case or not.
When I get his reply I'll publish it on here (Personally I hope that I am wrong)

 

[itma]

...
When I get his reply I'll publish it on here (Personally I hope that I am wrong)

I'm sure that your report is accurate, but I suspect (and earnestly hope) that your source may have got slightly carried away.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Phew!

Got a reply from our RBI this morning, as ITMA said, my source got carried away a bit but took the findings of the Bee Health review that destruction was the preferred option to be now the only option. I must also have misheard Frank when he said that from now on destruction was preferred.

Thank you for your email. One of the outcomes of the Bee Health Review last year was destruction for EFB being a preferred option. However automatic destruction is not mandatory. We would certainly press for it where infection is greater than 50% of brood in the colony and in many cases where infection is less than that. The order of preferred options at present is: destruction, shook swarm and, at certain times of year, treatment with OTC. Ultimately the course of action is by agreement between the Bee Inspector and the beekeeper, bearing in mind that the outcome we want to achieve is to minimise the risk of recurrence of disease for the beekeeper and their neighbours.

I hope that this helps.

Kind regards

Frank
So in the end a lot depends on the bee inspector and their personal view. In our area i know they prefer to try and 'cure' the colony, but i have heard that for years a few SBI's are hell bent on destruction.
But as you can see destruction is now the preferred option

 

[Hivemaker.]

Thank you for the clarification JB.

I know a SBI who always preferred the destruction option, until he got EFB in some of his own hives...then he suddenly preferred the shook swarm and feed with a gallon of syrup containing oxytetracycline.

 

[BeeJayBee]

I think that policy should be such that British beekeepers read what other countries say about the disease.

With respect, we have to be led by the legislation in this country.

My suggestion..

If somebody has EFB, you have a change to test new queen which should be.
Put a new queen into sick hive and look what happens...Cut off drone combs too.

There's a protocol we're expected to follow, making suggestions that don't match that protocol could mislead new British beekeepers.

Thank you for the clarification JB.

Yes, thanks JBM.

 

[Finman]

With respect, we have to be led by the legislation in this country.
.

heheh heheh.

When I worked in Helsinki City House, one law man collected all orders how to keep dog in Helsinky. It was 120 pages.

120 pages orders, how NOT to keep dogs,
How to keep dogs? Perhaps we need 1 million pages.
.