nosema - tool cleaning

[thelorax]

Hi folks, my mentor just got results back from the Beltsville MD lab. He had a 2.4 million spore count for nosema, anything over 1 million is high. He's pretty demoralized, but got the meds and is now treating.

I'm sure this is posted elsewhere, instructions for submitting a sample are at: http://www.ba.ars.usda.gov/psi/brl/directs.htm. There is no charge for the service.

Quick question, he is worried that his hive tools have contaminated other hives, could this be true? As a preventive measure, should tools be soaked in some type of solution?

Thanks

[honeyshack]

There is always a risk. I usually burn off my hive tools between yards with the propane torch. Since it takes me a day (when working off farm as well) to inspect a yard in the spring, I usually wash my coveralls every night. Same as when pulling honey, but at that time they are just sticky.

One of the bee inspectors put her hive tools in her smoker while she got it going to clean off any wax.

Yesterday, I found a hive with bad chalk brood. I burnt off the hive tools before moving into anothe hive.

clean hive tools is a way to help in the management and control of diseases in our bees, just like any othe livestock.

[thelorax]

Great idea on the torch (appeals to the minor pyro in me as well)

Thanks

[Sundance]

I do the smoker as well and then once a year or
so when I fire up the self cleaning oven all my
hive tools go in there (pre-cleaned a good bit)
and they come out like new. The paint has long
since been gone on my tools. So if there is some
paint on yours burn it off before the oven.

[Nick Noyes]

Off topic but.
How did you mentors bees look (healthy,big) with 2.4 million spores?
Also what is he going to treat with?

[LT]

Look at cleaning frames and comb with acetic acid. Do a search on it.

[tecumseh]

just casually I would suspect that wax build up on the hive tool is what you would wish to avoid.

honeyhouse writes:
Yesterday, I found a hive with bad chalk brood. I burnt off the hive tools before moving into anothe hive.

tecumseh:
some writing suggest that chalk brood itself may be indicative of a low level of nosema infection.

[thelorax]

Off topic but.
How did you mentors bees look (healthy,big) with 2.4 million spores?
Also what is he going to treat with?

The bees looked small, jittery (like they drank too much coffee), some wandering aimlessly on the landing board, there were also a number of young dead bees right off the landing board in the grass (not hundreds, maybe dozens)

He is treating with Fumagillin

[thelorax]

Look at cleaning frames and comb with acetic acid.

Thanks, but this thread has me scared off this idea
http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=211754&highlight=clean+frame+acetic+acid&page=2

[thelorax]

Hi folks, since I will collecting more samples for my mentor -I thought I would add below as it may be good information for other as well.

I called the Beltsville lab and they said placing adult bees in isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) is okay; I bought 32oz of 91% isopropyl for $2.50 at a local drug store. They said to drain the excess alcohol and then double bag bees using Ziploc bags. On the website it says to not use plastic but this is for comb samples.

Here's feedback from lab on collecting bees:
"Collect the bees off the inner cover of the colony. Scrape/knock/brush the bees directly into a jar or bag containing alcohol. Alternately, temporarily close the entrance of a colony, wait a few minutes and then collect returning forger bees sitting on the landing board by pushing them directly into the container with alcohol."

Here's additional feedback from lab on sample:
"We can work with as few as 30 bees (we grind up 30 bee abdomens in the process of checking for nosema disease) or less. However, if you want a reasonable idea of the varroa mite population in your colony/sample, 100 bees or more are best. As long as the bees have been soaked in alcohol, they will keep indefinitely."

[Loonerone]

I have seen two bees shivering - one in each of my hives - and one hive has had a yellow streak on the front twice - I hate the idea of killing 100 bees to send for the nosema test - but my question is, is seeing two bees shivering enough to start treatment or should I send bees to the lab? This is my weak hive, there are not a lot of bees. We have had very rainy weather which I understand is a condition that promotes nosema. These are my first hives. We are having terrible luck. It appears the weak hive has many many drones, spotty brood, not drawing out comb, swarm and supercedure cells throughout....

[thelorax]

A hundred may sound like a lot but a queen can lay 2,000 eggs in a day.