# Spreading disease



## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

I can see where this would be a concern. Given that my hive tool is metal I'd think fire would work, but not for the frame grabber. 

I know I either have to sterilize my fish equipment between jobs, or rest it 24 hours in inclement temperatures (100 degrees or freezing, either one works.)


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## beeware10 (Jul 25, 2010)

If that were the case there would be no bees. bee inspectors wash their hive tool and hands between yards. we wash only to clean off honey. our bees are still alive.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Being able to tell when something is wrong in hive of bees.
Knowledge of diseases and the ability to diagnose diseases and pests.

In my opinion, knowledge is the best antiseptic in the bee yard and between bee yards.

Precautions, such as not buying and using used equipment, are good practices. Most disease is spread from apiary to apiary by the beekeeper. When the beekeeper buys or otherwise obtains old used infected equipment, doesn't know it, and then spreads it thru out her hives and apiaries.

Otherwise, I don't do anything and don't know any beekeepers who do.


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## honeyshack (Jan 6, 2008)

Torch my hive tool between yard after cleaning off wax, washing the beesuits daily when hive inspections are happening...as necessary when pulling honey...usually every day too if it is real hot (smelly).
gloves wash as needed. I have aquired several pairs over the years.
Agree with sqkcrk...know what you are looking at and being aware of the health of the hive or the yard...go from there.


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## oldreliable (Jan 29, 2011)

I believe one can over-think things some of the time and this is one of those times...


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## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

Will keeping my drawn comb in the freezer all winter sterilize any diseases that may have come with the hive I bought last August? 

It had a mite count of zero, but the gal I got it from thought feeding HBH was a treatment. It started out with mites in the triple digits but no dwv


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## Ted Kretschmann (Feb 2, 2011)

Gypsi, freezing will kill wax moth and beetle. But lets you and I think here......Honeybee diseases are endemic. They exist with the bees through the ages, flaring up occasionally. These diseases survive from year to year through ALL TYPES OF WEATHER...So freezing the comb will not kill AFB spores. AS Mark has stated-Knowledge is the best weapon against bee diseases. Study them and learn to recognize them. TED


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## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

Mark insisted my bees were sick and that is why robbers attacked last year. So maybe I should just burn all of my equipment and be perfectly safe. But I saw no signs of disease, just a very severe dearth and a very inexperienced beekeeper with one weak hive.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Most of what you have on your hive tool is propolis. Propolis kills microbes.


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

Stick your hive tool in the smoker between hives. It will burn the bad stuff and remind you to refuel it when there is nothing to hold the hive tool up too.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Gypsi said:


> Mark insisted my bees were sick ..., just a very severe dearth and a very inexperienced beekeeper with one weak hive.


I don't recall verbatum our conversation, but, just to split hairs, I believe I probably suggested that there was something wrong w/ the colony which allowed robbing to occur. This could have been something as simple as queenlessness, a dronelaying queen or laying worker, a heavy mite load producing a weak colony not fit to defend itself and, yes, some disease of the bees or brood.

A very severe drought and a very inexperienced beekeeper w/ one weak hive, as you just stated, is probably as good a diagnosis as any of why your colony died. I would not freeze or burn your equipment. I would find someone who knows something to look the combs over. Which I understand is a daunting task for a newbee. It takes research and discerning trust.

In all likelyhood, statistically, if your source of equipment has no disease problems then you don't, Gypsi. Maybe you could speak to that person and see how they faired last year.


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## Daniel Y (Sep 12, 2011)

I know that such concerns and measures to addres them are relevent to the husbandry of many animals. I have had many other types of livestoc or bred other animals. including
Hogs, Cattle, Rabbits (700 breeders), Dogs (Kennel of over 160 breeders) Horses, chickens, Exotic birds, and tropical freshwater fish. This does not include the critters I have kept for pets. In all cases we where very strict on the decontamination measures that where to be used when moving from inclosure to inclosure. visitors where never allowed physical contact with animals until they had made a visual selection they where interested in buying. That animal as then brought out to them alone and they where then allowed to interact with it, make closer inspection etc. if after that inspection they wanted to see another animal they where required to "Clean Up"
No equipment, bedding, medication or otherwise was ever passed from one cage to another. Except in the case of moving males into cages with females. 

This process would not be applicable to beekeeping where bees themselves will migrate or drift to other colonies. This effectively causes one entire yard to be a single enclosure. 

Most threats to the honey bee seem to be of a nature that they are already present regardless of the practices of the beekeeper. In that case the issue is maintaining the bees resistance to the threat rather than preventing exposure. Assist in reducing the infestation and recognizing the current condition of the ongoing battle between bee and disease.

It then is no longer in issue of infection and all that remains is weather the keeper becomes a better nurse.


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## Katharina (May 2, 2011)

I think it is overkill. Between yard I would consider it, if I know there is an issue in one yard. Reality is they can contaminate each other by visiting the same large sun flower for example. I also prefer to use plastic kitchen gloves. They are easy to clean. I also clean my tools on a regular basis, because I don't like it if they are nasty. For that I use hot soapy water and follow up with rubbing alcohol for the sticky stuff that doesn't wash off. I use disposable gloves on hives with issues or on hives that are not mine. In this case I do clean my tools before using on my bees. There is is an idea to burn off your tools. I have a small alcohol burner that works just fine.


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## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

I think that I am too irritable to deal with this right now. Still waiting to see how good or bad my car insurance actually is...


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## fish_stix (May 17, 2009)

Car insurance does not cover bee diseases!


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## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

fish_stix said:


> Car insurance does not cover bee diseases!


Nope, but bad car insurance would mean I will not be able to afford bees next spring, and all discussion of beekeeping is a moot point if I can't get bees. (well I could trap some, maybe.) Plus I need a hard hat and veil or jacket, my bee suit is total, and totally miserable sometimes.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Auto Insurance is required in Texas?


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## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

Yes, and I have Allstate. But the semi driver that wrecked 6 cars took off, we have the trucking company name, no plate number, and definitely no driver name. Trucking companies are either honest or they are not, same goes for drivers. I carry uninsured motorist and medical, but not collision since it would cost potentially more than my truck is worth in the course of a year with the 30,000 miles I drive each year.


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## max2 (Dec 24, 2009)

[QUOTE=
gloves wash as needed. "

How do YOU wash your gloves?


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## guyross (Feb 18, 2011)

Good question. How do you wash gloves with out shrinkage? I washed mine and now they won't fit plus they split at the seams from forcing them on.


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## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

I bought rubber gloves. I think the dishwasher would do the trick if I hadn't given it away.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

max2 said:


> gloves wash as needed. "
> How do YOU wash your gloves?[/QUOTE said:
> 
> 
> ...


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## JD's Bees (Nov 25, 2011)

I wash my gloves then rub neetsfoot oil or other leather product in while they are still damp.


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## Daniel Y (Sep 12, 2011)

How much time do your gloves spend in a hive? There is no 5 second rule concrning exposure. If you touched the hive it counts.

How much infectious material do you transfer from one hive to another on your gloves? Enough. Very likely thousands if not millions of micro things get carried from hive to hive. There are tons of examples of how they placed die on some surface in a house then came back later to reveal just how far that die got spread around.

How much infectious material does it take to infect a colony of bees? One. One Virus, One mold spore, One bacteria, One egg. That would in fact be considered a contamination.


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

What about drones and drifter within the same yard? And sharing the same feeder/flowers/drinking source
Won't they spread more stuff around then you could do if you tried?


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

All this about dirty gloves and transferral of disease and what if....

Give up the gloves and learn how to go without. Leave them in your tool box for special occasions...the occassional truely nasty colony. You'll actually get less stings without gloves, and build up your immunity to bee venom. Take a lesson from ER Root. Hand and forearm shots can be wiped off on your thigh faster than the stinger can stick on your skin.


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## max2 (Dec 24, 2009)

" Daniel Y -How much infectious material do you transfer from one hive to another on your gloves? Enough. Very likely thousands if not millions of micro things get carried from hive to hive. There are tons of examples of how they placed die on some surface in a house then came back later to reveal just how far that die got spread around.

How much infectious material does it take to infect a colony of bees? One. One Virus, One mold spore, One bacteria, One egg. That would in fact be considered a contamination. 

I have read plenty about AFB and these concerns are shared by many BUT if each spore would automatically lead to AFB in a hive I would assume that we all would be done.

I trust that hives do have mechanisms to resist attacks of foreign intruders. My bee inspector tells me that it is all a matter of levels of exposure. We can't create a sterile environment but we all need to try to minimise exposure. This is what I try to do. It needs constant observation, care, some difficult decisions and a pinch of luck ( I think) or optimism.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

"The percentage of foragers originating from different colonies within the apiary ranged from 32 to 63 percent"--from a paper, published in 1991 by Walter Boylan-Pett and Roger Hoopingarner in Acta Horticulturae 288, 6th Pollination Symposium (see Jan 2010 edition of Bee Culture, 36) 

I think you all are trying to prevent the unpreventable.

I think the bees will spread things as much as you do. I also think moving microorganisms from one hive to another may be the best thing you can do. You may help reestablish a healthy microorganism as much as an unhealthy one. Bees in this country are constantly being treated with one or another thing that kills the microorganisms from acids and sugar syrup that mess with the pH to antibiotics like TM, Tylosin and Fumidil. I think a frame of pollen from a healthy hive might just straighten out a failing hive by inoculating it with the "right stuff".


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## max2 (Dec 24, 2009)

Michael Bush - I have read a good number of your posts and always enjoy them ( I note you have posted more then 36000 - must be a near full time job!) and I tend to agree with you. Maybe I have read to much about AFB? If I had read books about chickens or cows I probably would never have started with cows or chickens.
I have kept bees for more then 30 years and never had AFB.
I don't feed the bees ( don't have to in our climate), never used TM, Tyloin or Fumidil - and just hope that my bees will be bouncing back if they get the " right stuff"

Thanks!!


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## Daniel Y (Sep 12, 2011)

Read my earlier post (page 2) about the irrelevance of hygienic behavior concerning bees. The bees are transferring anything themselves. Still the question was asked along the lines of how much does it take for the keeper to be spreading things around. Big difference in a few bees finding the wrong hive and digging through a hive frame by frame then moving on to the next to do the same.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

When studying Bee Diseases when I was in school in Ohio we were taught that of a list of transmission of AFB from highest cause to lowest. Beekeeper transmission was at the top of the list. Primarily from bringing infected equipment into the yard and installing it on hives. Certainly the manual handling of infected frames can transfer some disease material from one hive to another, thereby increasing the exposure. But, imo, this is quite inconsequential and won't result in the second hive breaking down w/ the disease. It isn't that easy.

That being said, the less infectious material in exostence where bees can come in contact w/ it the better. And burning and burial gets that material off of hives, out of the yaard and renders it unuseable and available to the bees to cause more infection.


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