Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Burning
Burning the hives and bees is one way of ensuring an end to the matter, but this is not
as easy as it may appear. You have to wait until all the bees are in the hive in the evening
when you shut the entrance, open the lid and pour petrol into it. This kills the bees
almost immediately and the hive can then be burnt. You must be careful. I know of an
apiary inspector who poured in the petrol and then dropped in a match. He almost
blew himself and the beekeeper up.
The UK and New Zealand have a markedly reduced the incidence of AFB because of
their policies of burning.
Burning the frames and bees and then sterilizing the scraped hive parts with sodium
hypochlorite is also effective. The hive parts should be cleaned before they are soaked
in a solution of sodium hypochlorite for at least 20 minutes. Use gloves and overalls if
you employ this method.
Irradiation
Irradiating the hive parts and combs is effective but is not practical for most beekeepers.
It is also expensive.
Using the bacteriostat oxytetracycline
The bacteriostat oxytetracycline (which goes under several tradenames, such as
Terramycin), can be an effective treatment and prophylactic. Its use, however, is fraught
with the danger of the bacteria becoming resistant, and so it should never be employed
without expert advice. Many states and countries have banned its use except by the
authorities, and some have banned it altogether. Again, know your local rules.
My advice is not to use it at all - it's just another chemical that will contaminate your
honey, wax and bees. If you want an alternative to this chemical, read 'Eradicating AFB
without the use of drugs' (see the 'Further Reading' section at the end of the topic).
To sum up the main points about AFB:
This is probably the most infectious honey-bee brood disease.
