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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
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Fri, 4 May 2018 07:41:20 -0400
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If a hive has a very few cells that show signs of AFB, is it possible for
it to go into remission and overcome the disease? If so, might the disease
manifest again when the hive encounters stress such as a dearth period or a
mite treatment?

Hi there
My experience with AFB goes back to the mid 1970s. Keeping bees in Southern California, everyone was battling AFB. Later, in 2006, I worked as a NYS bee inspector. The first season I found over 100 cases of AFB, all confirmed by Beltsville. This is just to preface what I am about to say. 

Back in the 1980s, many of us considered AFB treatable and only destroyed colonies if they were too weak to recover, with the help of terramycin, or later -- tylosin. Some states still allow this path, but one has to have sound judgement. 

This approach is not dissimilar to other livestock management, animals are not usually killed if they have bacterial infections. On the other hand, I don't regard honey bee colony management as a veterinary issue, they are too different from other livestock. 

As an NYS inspector, we were compelled to condemn a hive on the basis of one or more cells of AFB. In other words, zero tolerance. If they had it, they were considered infected and the mandate was destruction of the colony and equipment. 

In the final analysis, AFB is too serious to mess around with. If you find it, even a so-called "light infection" it is best to get rid of it ASAP. The bees should be euthanized and the equipment destroyed or sterilized. 

Of course, a colony with a light infection might go into remission, we have all seen that. We have also seen it come back. The question is, how far will it spread? If you take supers off a "lightly infected" hive, good bet you will spread it around. Better safe than sorry, especially given the need to reduce use of antibiotics in livestock, etc

PLB

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