Seems that I am not particularly sensitive to criticism, so had no problem
sharing my experience with Aus bees and a cluster of AFB breakdown with the
list recently. Not everyone is willing to come out on this topic, though.
This (below) came to me direct.

The experience shared is not uncommon, so it seems to me that offering it
anonymously (for him), along with my comments, will spare the author some
pain, and also bring this very real problem up for discussion once again, so
that all can benefit form the insights of the list.

Here's my advice.  I'm sure there will be others who disagree.

allen (Ducking and running)
----

> Read your comments on AFB presence in hives.  I have lost about twenty
> colonies in a yard in the past year and a half due to AFB.  I have three
> hives remaining, one a swarm that volunteered in an empty hive set up by
> the beehouse this past spring. I was thinking of completely eradicating
> the three remaining colonies later this fall

If they are not badly diseased, I would let them live, and medicate them,
using either oxtet or Tylosin - whatever is indicated locally.  Assuming
that it is done properly, they should survive if they do not have any or
much disease.  If there is more than a few cells of AFB, though, that should
be removed, although I understand that Tylosin really cleans up hives.

> and trying to sterilize the colonies through irradiation and, in fact,
> sterilizing all the equipment from the yard via irradidiation.

That's a very good idea, if available.

> From your comments, would you advocate continuing these three hives to see
> if they might be AFB tollerant because of hygenic behavior?

Frankly, I am not too optimistic about being able to know that on a few
hives with nothing to compare to, without considerable experience and
scientific help.

Nonetheless, I also think that your odds of ever becoming totally free of
AFB is low, even if you sterilize and medicate, etc.  AFB is out there in
most US localities, and will come back, especially if you have susceptible
bees.

IMO,  the best you can hope is to stay ahead of it, hopefully to the extent
that you never, or seldom see cells of AFB in your hives.  HYG and
sterlizing the empty equipment every year or so -- by radiation (forget
about lye and other time-wasting make-work ideas) -- should keep you happy.
As I say, an occcasional, intelligent use of medication can help, but
hopefully, with good stock, regular inspection and routine sterilization by
radiation, you should be just fine.

> If I can't irradiate the hives to sterilize them I'm looking at burning
> all of the interior equipment, comb, and stores and scorching the hive
> bodies / supers before using again.

That works.

> I can move these suspect hives to an area/yard where they would be fairly
> isolated from any other known colonies around.  Feral colonies are fairly
> rare here but might be a transmission factor to other colonies.

You pretty well have to figure that, unless you are *really* isolated that
AFB is nearby somewhere, and if you don't see it, it is because you have
good bees.  I would not choose my yards with a primary goal of avoiding
others, although that can be a consideration.  With good management and good
bees, many beekeepers do just fine in areas known to harbour AFB.

allen

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