I have AFB now what

[Anybrew]

Hi guys, well its been confirmed that I have AFB. My poor Bee's were doing so great this year. So I had six hives and five have confirmed AFB.
I am going to move my last remaining hive to a friends house and monitor it very very closely.
Two had a small visible infection but the other three are full of it. So I have had to destroy them

My hives are all plastic and are screwed together.  I have unscrewed them and have poured straight Bleach on them and scrubbed the crap out of them.  They are now soaking in a 1 to 5 ratio of bleach and water.

I don't plan to use these box's until I can perhaps get them irradiated some day.  Perhaps if I can find a Commercial guy getting some done I will send my modest 9 hives,bottoms and tops along.

I have managed to arrange for some more hives for next week   which is awesome.

Question1

My Hives were all sitting on galvanised stands,do I need to trash them too. Or would a spray with straight bleach do any good to kill any spores???

Question 2

Would the ground under the hives be contaminated with spores,should I move my apiary ten metres away??


Any advise would be really appreciated.

Cheers
Steve
One step forward and three steps back.

[Kiwimana]

Hi Steve,

Sorry to hear about your AFB.

As far as the stands, I wouldn't think the spores would be able to soak into the steel, so a good clean should be fine.

See ya...Gary

[Anybrew]

Hi Gary, I just don't know. The steel stands would probably be ok?? my bottom boards are Galvanised folded steel as well,maybe they would be ok too?? darn expensive too. I have bleached them too,what about excluders they are gal too??I just don't know.

Ahhhhhh AFB sux.


Cheers
Steve

[Simon]

Gee Steve, I'm sorry to hear about your bad luck.  Hopefully you can salvage some of your gear.

Now, I'm far from any sort of expert on AFB, but I watched a couple of youtube videos yesterday by the NSW Dept of Agriculture, done by an apiary inspector about AFB.  He wan't too concerned about contamination of his tools etc, only the hive body, frames, floor etc.  I remember that he mentioned the gamma radiation treatment for supers and frames including the combs etc and he said that bees do really well on irradiated equipment because the radiation kills all sorts of stuff besides the AFB.  You could probably find the videos fairly easily (or I could, and I will PM you with the link as I can't post links yet).  They are probably a bit depressing to watch, especially killing bees with petrol and soapy water

I just looked up in my ABC & XYZ of Bee Culture (that I got today and am so proud of) about decontamination of equipment to see what it has to say.  On page 194, it suggests that decontamination treatments "include, acetic acid, ethylene oxide, heat, high velocity electron beam, gamma radiation, and hot paraffin."  It doesn't state what temperature the "heat" or "hot paraffin" has to be to be effective.

It is probably a good idea to check with your local Ag Department to see what is acceptable to them - hopefully they can recommend something that is effective and not have you running around decontaminating stuff that doesn't need to be and worrying unnecessarily.  That way you shouldn't get into trouble for doing the wrong thing either, especially with a reportable infection.

[bigsting]

hi sorry to hear  the last hive I would destroy as well it is probably there but you can not see it yet  and I would not move it because you risk giving it to others that you don't know have bee I would be hard to be kind to your new bees   


all wood and steal can be hot waxed dipped plastic dose not live to well with 140 dc 4 15 minits frame stands can be burned with a blow torch I do have a address  4a gammer place     bleach will caroad your  metal                                                                               

[Jim 134]

The only 2 thing that I know that work 100% of the time on AFB are fire and gamma radiation



           BEE HAPPY Jim 134

[Michael Bush]

I'm not sure how hot your plastic can take, but boiling in lye water is a common treatment.  The lye sopanifies all the wax and propolis and strips it down to the plastic (in your case or the wood in other cases).

[Finski]

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It seems that you hives are all badly contaminated.
Small visual sings enlarge in a month very big.

You must take clean and sterilized boxes. Then you put there new foundation frames.

With artificial swarm system you may save the bees but you must destroy all frames.

[yantabulla]

G'day Andrew,

Good on you for identifying it & taking the appropriate action.

As per Jim's advice the only way to deal with AFB is to burn or irradiate.  In your case with plastic boxes it would be crazy to burn them.

I would stick with the reliable information provided by the NSW DPI.  With the greatest of respect to the members of this forum, not all of the advice provided is suitable/legal in NSW.  The NSW DPI website is one of the best sources of info for Australian conditions.

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/livestock/honey-bees/pests-diseases

Your bees won't get reinfected through the stands.  It wouldn't hurt to move them if you have a suitable site nearby.

I had one with AFB in September & my hives are on the same site.  I'm just careful not to rest frames on the ground.

Also have a think about any other used equipment that you have.  A big cause of AFB is infected, used equipment.  I would get everything irradiated & start again.

Put a barrier system in place & stick to it.

The main source of contamination is from bees robbing honey from infected hives that are weak or dead.  Keep an eye on your hives when times are hard & feed them with sugar syrup when they run short of stored honey.

Good luck,

Yanta

[Anybrew]

Thanks guys, there are some helpful comments there.  I have been speaking with the DPI this last fortnight and they have been very helpful.
I suspect I got AFB from robbing as the only second hand gear I have was the stuff my original bee's came in.
But saying that it may have already been one or two of them.
I stored my combs over winter and then shared them through my new colonies. Perhaps spreading the AFB spores.

I will re-site my Apiary 10 metres away I hope this helps and blow torch the stands and the metal bottom boards. 

I won't give up,as bee's are just awesome.

At least I have picked up some new skills in the Apiary

Cheers
Steve

 

[AllenF]

Don't forget that the spores are on all your tools, gear, feeders, clothes, gloves, and smoker.   You will have to irradiated or burn most everything.  A costly loss. 

[Anybrew]

Thanks AllenF, yeah mate very costly indeed..............

Cheers
Steve

[Finski]

As per Jim's advice the only way to deal with AFB is to burn or irradiate.

Jim is  almost right. What I wrote, it is used un many countries. BUT

You have had  in Australia  for decades that you cannot use antibiot but you have cleaned disease from hives with artificial swarming.
Bad thing is that there are in Australian nature wild colonies which suffer about AFB and when weakened nursed hives rob them.

Artificial swarm system is verifyed some years ago in Swedich University and Germany and Denmark has used it.

But Australia has strict orders and according this you get compensation if you burn hives...http://theabk.com.au/article/american-foulbrood-%E2%80%93-disease-can-be-eradicated


Procerdure what to do in Australia y 2008
Preventing the spread of American foulbrood disease

www.agric.wa.gov.au/.../preventing_the_spread_of... -


Look more from google

.

[Finski]

-

Distribution and Transmission of
American Foulbrood in Honey Bees
Anders Lindström
Faculty of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences
Department of Entomology
Uppsala

2006 Sweden

The distribution of Paenibacillus larvae spores, the causative agent of American foulbrood
was studied on three different levels in the honey bee system; the apiary level, the colony
level and the individual honey bee level. The increased understanding of spore distribution
has been used to give recommendations regarding sampling of adult honey bees. The
vertical transmission of P. larvae spores through natural swarms has been described for the
first time and artificial swarming as a method for control of American foulbrood have been
evaluated.
The results demonstrated that there is no practical difference in spore load between supers
and brood chambers, and that the spore load in samples of adult honey bees on the different
levels correspond to the clinical disease status of the colony. The study on individual bees
showed that spores are unequally distributed among the bees and that as more bees get
contaminated each positive bee also contains more spores. This may present a problem
when sampling from colonies with low levels of clinical disease, although the study on
colony and apiary level showed no false negatives. A model for calculating the number of
bees that needs to be sampled to detect P. larvae in a composite sample of adult bees, given
certain detection levels and proportions of positive honey bees in the sample, was developed
The swarm study demonstrated vertical transmission of P. larvae spores. Furthermore, the
artificial swarm study showed that single and double shaking are equally effective treatment
methods, and that the original disease status is of little importance for the spore load
decrease.Keywords:

[Finski]

.
In Germany 2003

research 9 years....

In Germany AFB has controlled very succesfully with artificial swarms

spores can be idetyfyed 2 year before visual symptoms emerge


     Control of American Foulbrood by using alternatively eradication ...

fingalbeekeepers.net/.../von_der_Ohe_1.pdf -

[Lone]

Sorry to hear about this, Steve.  Even Dr Lone is at a loss as to what to do.

It might be a step backwards, but starting again from scratch will have you with a whole new apiary.  It might take a little time to get the gear together, but one of the 'joys' of beekeeping is the time and effort you spend on it; and I'm sure you will enjoy the process.

I'd be tempted myself not to use any gear until you can irradiate it. It doesn't sound as if it would be likely for the hive stand etc to contain spores after it's cleaned, but it wouldn't hurt to make it into a temporary herb garden stand either.  Don't be feeding honey back to your bees that's gone through your extractor.  It's hard to find relevant research articles that will let us know if it lives in soil.  You could put different soil over the area perhaps?

Finski, you've brought up some interesting points.  The article on artificial swarming (which as you mentioned is not an option in Australia for AFB anyway) doesn't explain what artificial swarming is and how to do it.

I had never heard of compensation before..so that is something you ought to look into, Steve.  http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/aa198591/  Read part 5.  I wonder if there is compensation in the other states and territories?  It will mean a LOT of beaurocracy and excuses, but if you can get through that, it would go a long way to helping with the expense side of things.

I won't give up,as bee's are just awesome.

Quote of the day..!  Thanks for remaining positive.  Your experiences may help others.  AFB has been found not far from here; so we all should remember to be alert and take preventative measures.

Lone

[Anybrew]

Hi Finski, yes you are correct in what you say about the use of Anti Biotic s in Australia,they are not used for AFB.  I think, you can use Terramycin under a prescription for EFB. (I think)
The treatment is to destroy the diseased Hives and either burn or irradiate equipment.

I have read the artificial swarming used in many European Countries and it appears to be common practice, very interesting .   

Thankyou again.

Cheers
Steve

[Anybrew]

Dear Dr Lone  , thanks for your support.  The DPI have been awesome, and I have been contacting them daily seeking advice.
I agree, I will not use any of my gear until I can get it irradiated. I would easily have $1200 in plastic hives,excluders,metal bottom boards,plastic lids which I would like to save.

The DPI made me feel much better regarding the soil,hives stands etc.  In a nut shell they said,it will be fine.
As we know,the biggest spreader of AFB is US.(No not the US of A  )

The robbing of ferals colonies will always happen, However they said that only hungry Bee's rob.  So well fed or heavy hives should be perhaps less likely to get it.

I think the best thing to do is if you think you have a disease contact the DPI and they will lead you through the fog of information and sought you out.  Nicely of course.

Cheers
Steve

[Jim 134]

I'm not sure how hot your plastic can take, but boiling in lye water is a common treatment.  The lye sopanifies all the wax and propolis and strips  it down to the plastic (in your case or the wood in other cases).

I do know at the University of Massachusetts this did not work
After 2 hours of  boiling in lye water still could find some live AFB spores.



               BEE HAPPY Jim 134

[Finski]

I do know at the University of Massachusetts this did not work
After 2 hours of  boiling in lye water still could find some live AFB spores.




[/quote]

At least it works in practice.

.
Lye is used to sterilize many things in food industry.

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