Kingston Beekeepers

The inspector calls – once more!

The weather forecast for Monday 12 May was not very encouraging – wind and rain, and not particularly warm, and the Regional Bee Inspector was visiting the apiary. The first of his visits was on a rainy day and we all ended up being cold, wet and depressed, partly because of the weather but mainly because he had previously found EFB in our hives. But this time, yet again, the forecast was wrong.

The Management Team had doubts about one of the hives and had detected some deformed lavae on a comb, so the inspection started with this one. The inspector quickly dispelled our fears by diagnosing the deformed larvae were suffering from sac brood. As the number of hives at the apiary is now down to 14 the inspectors quickly finished the other hive and gave us a clean bill of health.

So now we are free to move equipment off the apiary and can be less guarded about handling other hives, but we must not relax too much. EFB has not necessarily left the apiary – it could still be present in our hives at a very low level and the bees are coping with it using their normal hygiene procedures. The buckets and containers of washing soda solutions will still be at the apiary for washing hive tools and dipping your boots. There is a document from Twickenham Apiary on hygienic procedures for apiaries (see below). Please read it and comply with its directions, we must not give up on our inspection hygiene practices.