Everyone knows about IPM. It is the new buzz on how to manage
pests and diseases.
The underlying concept is -- basically -- that we are not likely to
eradicate most pests, and that when the levels are low, the costs of
fighting them outweight the benefits, plus we risk breeding superpests
by knocking out the weaker versions and leaving only the strongest to
carry on.
There are levels of pest presence below which the costs of tolerating
pests are less than the costs of trying to fight them, so we should
watch outbreaks and only play "Whack-a-Mole" with them when we see
that the cost of letting things go on as they are is getting to be more
than the cost of the bullet it will take to set back the pest's progress.
Most of our 'solutions' to pests either cost us in cash, in time and effort,
in collateral damage, or in contamination of our products and damage to
our bees, so we need to think before we act and only act when we
have to do so to save our investment and income.
The IPM concepts have achived very good acceptance, except,
apparently with AFB, where the laws and standard advice require an
all-or-nothing attitude. Not only does this defy logic, but it sets up a
situation where openness and honesty can be counterproductive for
the beekeeper involved.
Having written a course which included a section on IPM, I have had to
dig into the concepts and to reflect deeply on them, and I guess they
have taken over my approach in dealing with all pests, and that
includes AFB.
Apparently IPM thinkiing has not propagated throughout the industry
yet and I was quite surprised to find that quite a few people are
strongly attached to the idea that the only way to deal with AFB is to
burn the hive, the contents and the bees (and perhaps the beekeeper
for good measure).
What happened, and it gave me a jolt, was that in a meeting, I
ventured that AFB should no longer be a problem. Not thnking I was
being controversial, I ventured the opinion that if people are seeing any
more than the occasional cell or two of AFB, they have the wrong bees.
They need to change their stock.
I further ventured to state that when I saw a few cells in one stock I
have, I don't worry. I know that when I go back it will be gone. One
the other hand, with another stock, I know there will be a lot more a
while later and I had better act -- stat.
Well, that got a strong reaction from some of the bee inspectors in the
crowd.
"Are you saying that you leave cells of foulbrood in your hives", I was
asked.
"Er, well..., yes, I replied", a bit stunned at the tone. It seemed obvious
to me that from what I said, that I must do that -- ignore a few cells of
AFB if I see them. I do recall where they are though and I do check
back.
You see, I was a bee inspector a long time back, and have a fairly close
acquaintance with AFB. In fact, following Phillips' advice, I deliberately
bought scaly equipment and cleaned it up. It was cheap and often just
about new. With proper medicating, after a few years, it was as clean
as any commercial equipment in the region.
That was back before we had 'resistant bees' available commercially
from numerous sources and the bees needed an antibiotic backup in
their cleanup work.
Of course there are spores even after cleanup, but the bees cover them
up, coat them with wax and propolis, carry them out, and, moreover the
spores lose virulence with time. Besides it takes a lot of virulaent
spores in the right place at the right instant in time to break down more
than the occasional cell of good bees, and good bees will get it out the
door right away before it can cause more grief.
Thus I take it for granted that we can tolerate a bit of AFB if we monitor
and make sure it is not running away on us. We have the tools to deal
with it. Good bees, drugs occasionally if necessary, and gamma ray
radiation.
IPM. It works with other pests, Why not AFB?
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