# Is EFB a problem in your Apiary?



## beebze (Sep 24, 2007)

I noticed it a few yrs ago. I have talked to other commercial beekeepers and it seems to be more prevalent in there yards too. Also seems to be Harder to get rid of. I use TM. 

IS there anything else out there that is being used that is effective against EFB?


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

One recommendation from an article I had read is below, poor pollen seems to be stressing the bees lately.


Maintain nutrition
Nutritional problems can be divided into two categories – lack of nectar or lack of pollen. If ample honey is stored, shortage of
nectar should not be a problem. But good quality pollen is another matter. Pollen is available either when it is stored or when it
is available from currently flowering plants and the colony is actively breeding. A good supply of pollen with adequate protein levels
and a well balanced group of amino acids is most important to reduce any nutritional imbalance and thus stress on the bees. A
lack of quality pollen can be overcome by artificially feeding previously collected pollen or pollen substitutes.


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## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

Might want to buy queens from a different source. I've heard re-queening with different genetics will clean it up.


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## BMAC (Jun 23, 2009)

Breaking the brood cycle cleans it up. No brood no efb.


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## JSL (Sep 22, 2007)

BMAC said:


> Breaking the brood cycle cleans it up. No brood no efb.


 That may have been true of older strains, but today, it appears the bacteria can persist in the colony/equipment and is present in low levels in most operations, although there may be no visible symptoms of the disease most of the time.


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## Dominic (Jul 12, 2013)

EFB development is intimately linked to nutrition. Well-nourished larvae will survive, but will defecate before emerging and thus contaminate the next larva to share their cells. Poorly-fed larvae will die, but the spores will not be viable to contaminate the following brood.

Usually, the recommendation is to supplement feed with pollen or other forms of protein. This allows the colony to stay strong and minimize larval mortality.

Personally, I find this counter-intuitive. Starving the colony of protein kills infected brood, breaking the biological cycle of the bacteria, thus sanitizing the hive. Which is really a great time to requeen, too. Bonus dent in varroa population growth, too. An untimely brood break may hurt a hive's productivity, but so will EFB, and allowing it to maintain itself increases the risks of spreading it to other hives.


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## JSL (Sep 22, 2007)

Dominic said:


> EFB development is intimately linked to nutrition. Well-nourished larvae will survive, but will defecate before emerging and thus contaminate the next larva to share their cells. Poorly-fed larvae will die, but the spores will not be viable to contaminate the following brood.


EFB is not spore forming bacteria, but the bacteria can be transmitted on bees, comb and equipment.


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## beebze (Sep 24, 2007)

I feed pollen patties in fall and spring. They go into winter with some pollen on them to. I also buy queens from 3 to 7 different sources. Either EFB is becoming resistance to TM or the EFB that is around today is a stronger strain that is harder to get rid of.


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## RAK (May 2, 2010)

Does EFB occur more in wetter climates? Can't remember if i had any major issues with EFB. I use no antibiotics and pollinate almonds, cherries, apples and pears.... I think by using antibiotics your doing worse. Have you been applying TM and EFB every year? Is it part of your annual treatment plan.


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## BMAC (Jun 23, 2009)

JSL said:


> That may have been true of older strains, but today, it appears the bacteria can persist in the colony/equipment and is present in low levels in most operations, although there may be no visible symptoms of the disease most of the time.


Joe what do you suggest is the best approach in handling EFB? I have noticed a newer strain with initially similarities of AFB on field tests only to have 2 lab tests show EFB.


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## JSL (Sep 22, 2007)

BMAC,

Yes, the newer strain/strains are more challenging. The USDA is talking more about them, but there is still a lot of uncertainty. TM is still the only registered antibiotic that I know of. The treatment must be strictly followed as to timing and dose per colony. In working with some operations it is best to treat before EFB infections really begin to peak in the spring and then perhaps again in the fall. 

That being said... Tylan is not registered for use on EFB, and some literature states it may not work on EFB. However, it does appear to work well on the newer EFB strain/strains when the label is followed with regard to timing and dose for TM resistant AFB.

EFB is interesting in that if an operation is showing distinct visible signs of infection in colonies, there is often a low level of infection present in a certain number of other colonies that do not show distinct visible signs of infection. This appears to be the case in some queen rearing operations that have trouble in their cell builders and cells failing to hatch with dead larvae or pupa.

EFB is a tough one. It is not spore forming like AFB, but it might as well be since the bacteria can survive on bees, comb and equipment.


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## HarryVanderpool (Apr 11, 2005)

Joe, that is why I have never get all excited about efb.
When I see it I shift my focus to good laying queens and nutritional levels.
If the bees are set to shove food down a new, young queens throat that is laying like a machine gun, and if sufficient nutrition is available to nurse bees, they can outrun and clear up most cases.
Add to that, pulling crappy infected old frames as a part of your comb replacement program.
I don't like to see efb. But when I do, I keep things in perspective as best as possible.
Maybe a spring TM treatment in almonds,,,,,,,,,,,ehhh,,,,,maybe not!


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## Dominic (Jul 12, 2013)

JSL said:


> EFB is not spore forming bacteria, but the bacteria can be transmitted on bees, comb and equipment.


You are correct, it does not actually form spores and I used the wrong terms. The rest stand, though: surviving larvae are far more infectious than those who succumb to the bacteria.

"When food supplies are overabundant the infected larvae pupate and then develop into adults. Consequently, overfed larvae frequently show no symptoms of the disease. Unfortunately, it is these surviving larvae that are responsible for the spread of EFB within a colony. Immediately prior to pupation they defecate and discharge large numbers of infectious _M. plutonius_ bacteria at the base of each cell. EFB spreads within the colony from these bacteria." -Honey Bee Diseases & Pests, Third Edition, Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists


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## BMAC (Jun 23, 2009)

JSL said:


> EFB is a tough one. It is not spore forming like AFB, but it might as well be since the bacteria can survive on bees, comb and equipment.


So is there any merit in gassing used equipment with Glacial Acetic Acid?


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## JSL (Sep 22, 2007)

I don't have experience with using acetic acid to gas equipment. The literature gives mixed reviews although a slight favor towards "yes, acetic acid will kill EFB bacteria" exists.


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## DmacShack (May 22, 2013)

Can EFB combs be disinfected by a long freeze in a freezer? Say 48 hrs or more? I have tried to research this and have not found a definitive answer.


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## Riskybizz (Mar 12, 2010)

I had two cases of EFB last spring (out of 55 hives) I had not seen it in a long time. Had to order some TM-25 to medicate as I hadn't used it in 20 years. It cleared up in about two weeks and the colony went on to be very productive. These were 2 nucs so I attributed it to stress condition. I have never worried about reusing the frames or equipment and mixing it back into the Apivar but maybe I should.


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## Riskybizz (Mar 12, 2010)

Sorry. Apiary


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## JBJ (Jan 27, 2005)

The BIP team mentioned efb & efb-like infections are very prevalent in a lot of operations in the PNW this year. 

One may want to consider other tools than just TM. Hygenic queens and nutrition are a good start but we also need to consider resistance management when it comes to antibiotics. TM has been around a long time and been arguably over used. When it comes to antibiotics one should avoid prophylactic treatment if at all possible and if treatment becomes necessary rotate therapeutic materials. Lincomycin has been labeled for bees for a while now. I'm surprised we haven't heard more about it. It works very well... for now. I'm sure irresponsible overuse is a possibility if not an eventuality.

http://www.drugs.com/vet/lincomix-soluble-powder.html


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

JBJ said:


> The BIP team mentioned efb & efb-like infections are very prevalent in a lot of operations in the PNW this year.
> 
> One may want to consider other tools than just TM. Hygenic queens and nutrition are a good start but we also need to consider resistance management when it comes to antibiotics. TM has been around a long time and been arguably over used. When it comes to antibiotics one should avoid prophylactic treatment if at all possible and if treatment becomes necessary rotate therapeutic materials. Lincomycin has been labeled for bees for a while now. I'm surprised we haven't heard more about it. It works very well... for now. I'm sure irresponsible overuse is a possibility if not an eventuality.
> 
> http://www.drugs.com/vet/lincomix-soluble-powder.html


I did not know this. I notice it's not labeled for EFB, though.


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## JSL (Sep 22, 2007)

John,

Do you have any experience using Lincomycin for EFB?

It has been a number of years ago, so the recommendation may have changed, but I had a conversation with a researcher regarding hygienic behavior and VSH and their impact on diseases such as EFB. The response was theoretical, but interesting in that increased exposure to the disease may actually increase spread of the disease. Again, it has been a while and recommendations may have changed...


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

they only tested it on AFB here is the write up.

http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Animal...lDrugProducts/FOIADrugSummaries/UCM307845.pdf


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## pppswing (Dec 19, 2013)

EFB is due to poor nutrition, beekeeping practice, and genetics.

Antibiotics should not be used to mask EFB symptoms. 

Firstly because you don't treat the real causes, secondly bacterias and fungie responsible of EFB will develop resistance to antibiotics.
Then antibiotics with residues and their metabolites will remain in wax and possibly honey.

Frame and wax renewal, quality feeding and environment, good beekeeping practise should make EFB disapear.
If despite your effort, there is still EFB, poor genetics is responsible, you shoud then renew the queen either by yourself or from a supplier of quality queens.

Antibiotics is for lazy people, it's a short term solution with terrible long term impact.


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## beebze (Sep 24, 2007)

"Antibiotics is for lazy people" All the Commercial beekeepers that I know aren't consider to be "Lazy". Most use antibiotics in there program, one way or another.


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

Pppswing makes some valid points about dealing with EFB in general but he seems to be making a lot of assumptions about a situation in which he has had no direct experience. Yes, as he says, "quality feeding (foraging I assume) and environment" are important. That's hardly news and far easier said than done when bees are often being moved, expected to begin brooding up in the middle of the winter and then often exposed to fungicides and a myriad of other stressors. I rarely saw EFB until a decade or so ago and never treated specifically for it. So what's changed? Could be its a tougher strain, could be varroa, could be poorer forage, could be fungicides and exposure to new and different pesticides, or it could be the now common practices of moving hives 1,000's of miles and overpopulating orchards for pollination. Most likely its some combination of all of the above. But beekeeper laziness? I don't think so.


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## pppswing (Dec 19, 2013)

I have some cases of EFB, 5% mostly in early spring when colonies expand and yet could not warm up properly brood nest, when I'm inspecting hive too early or pollen quality is poor or missing. Most of thoses cases recover by themselves, I renew frames, compact the colony, sometime I give pollen and yeast, some syrup. 

When I got EFB in summer I suspect queen genetics and I renew the queen (2 cases out of 1000).

I never put antibiotics, because it makes bacteria resistant to antibiotics, there are residues in wax and honey.
There is a better, cheaper and long term solutions : frame renewal, warm partition, feeding, changing the hive spot.

When I say "Lazy", I mean taking the easier way, that is main trend and fully accepted in US without thinking about long term consequences : ANTIBIOTICS.
ANTIBIOTICS everywhere. ANTIBIOTICS for a Yes. ANTIBIOTICS for a No.

Now, you cry you get more and more severe cases of EFB, well this is mainly due to bacteria resistance. 
You treat for AFB, residues remains in wax, bacteria get resistant. Then you get more EFB, you get more AFB. You treat with antibiotics, bacteria get resistant and so on.

Antibiotics are banned in Europe :
- about EFB, there are simple solutions I described before.
- about AFB, we burn everything hive and bees and we save only big colony in the same apiary without any sign of infection but we burn the hive together with all frames.

The more antibiotics you give, the more bacteria resistance there is. It's an endless vicious circle. 
Because the recycled wax is also contaminated with residues and bacteria get resistant too.


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

pppswing said:


> I have some cases of EFB, 5% mostly in early spring when colonies expand and yet could not warm up properly brood nest, when I'm inspecting hive too early or pollen quality is poor or missing. Most of thoses cases recover by themselves, I renew frames, compact the colony, sometime I give pollen and yeast, some syrup.
> 
> When I got EFB in summer I suspect queen genetics and I renew the queen (2 cases out of 1000).
> 
> ...


I understand everything you are saying and I agree to a point. Yes antibiotics are commonly used and resistance is always a concern. We used to see AFB quite often but rarely saw EFB. Now we see EFB quite often but I havent seen a case of AFB in many years. If antibiotic resistance is the primary problem, why arent we plagued with antibiotic resistant strains of AFB? Burning of AFB infected hives is the norm here as well but I know of some who have treated infected hives and have never had it reappear. When I see EFB and treat it, it reponds to the treatment. To me that dosent say that resistance is the problem. To me the facts point less towards antibiotic resistance and more towards the other stressors that our hives are commonly exposed to. I wouldnt generalize what you might feel is going on with bees in the US without more information just as I wouldnt generalize what might be going on in France. I think antibiotics should be used sparingly and used according to label directions but I do also believe its a valuable tool given everything we ask our bees to deal with.


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