We have European Foul Brood (EFB) disease in the area which the bee inspectors are working tirelessly to track and trace to eliminate.
I have received several notifications emails as the Dorset Road Apiary is registered with the National Bee Unit (NBU). This has given me the ‘heads up’ to be more vigilant when inspecting my hives as notifiable disease has been found close by. Other times they send out starvation alerts warning to check/feed your bees if there is a lack of forage or diverse weather.
Yesterday was my second visit from Stewart Westsmith from the NBU. The last visit was over six weeks ago and another case of EFB had been found nearby so a second visit was arranged. He arrived early and finished inspections after lunch, going through each hive thoroughly. In the process of the inspection we saw a queen bee play dead for over five minutes and then leg it across the frame..in all my years of bee keeping I had never witnessed this and the bee inspector only once previously, obviously I have a real drama queen in that hive!
I am happy to say that no EFB was found at this apiary and I have another clean bill of health… Phew! Always a relief to hear.
However, I did visit a colleagues apiary later on that day and EFB was found. So please everyone be extra vigilant and register with the NBU they are a great bunch and non- judgmental just thoroughly knowledgeable and helpful. If you are unlucky enough to have EFB at the very least you will have a fantastic lesson on how to recognise it which will aid you in you endeavour to keep strong healthy bees. This is something we all need to do.
The NBU have a fantastic web site full of information so sign up now and register your apiary even if you have just one hive.
Happy healthy beekeeping
Sharon Bassey