Welcome and a AFB Q...

[Rasta Bee]

Hello, my first post and question... We used to have a wild swarm that lived inside the wall of our guest cabin. They were there for about 4 years. This year they have vanished. So, I have recently purchased a hive to help pollinate our garden and fruit trees. Not knowing any better, the first day I had them I put them near where the old bees were, only to find out that is not a wise move. So, we closed them up at night and moved them to a new location away from the abandoned hive. We then proceeded to open the wall of the cabin to inspect the old hive and remove it. Here are the pictures from the removal. I looked into AFB and the description sounds similar except I couldnt find any larvae to do the string test. I am wondering if these pics can give any experienced keepers a clue to what may have happened? Thanks

RB

http://s15.postimage.org/45s9rmx0r/abandoned_hive_1.jpg
http://s15.postimage.org/qj00efxyj/Abandoned_hive_2.jpg
http://s15.postimage.org/6s7s8ko8b/A...ded_Hive_3.jpg
http://s15.postimage.org/3mn6id5m3/A...ded_Hive_4.jpg
http://s15.postimage.org/o81ya9n6z/A...ded_hive_5.jpg
http://s15.postimage.org/txi6uktd7/A...ded_hive_6.jpg
http://s15.postimage.org/cy98fbi5n/A..._7_removed.jpg
http://s15.postimage.org/vf3n64y3v/abandoned_hive.jpg
http://s15.postimage.org/6pnwlqkkr/a..._8_removed.jpg






havent quite figured how to link pics with html yet.. sorry

[Rasta Bee]

We removed the old comb and sealed up the wall with plastic and put the boards back on, then another layer of plastic over the outside boards. We then burnt the comb. Here is another link to the fullsize pictures, I noticed the resized pics left out a lot of details that might be helpful.

http://postimage.org/gallery/pcupx0c/44b04d4b/

[BeeTech]

If you have a sample still, you can look for 'scales' on the lower side of the comb tubes. That's what is left of the larve after the dry out. If you find one, then you can do a 'holst milk test'. The enzyme that digests the larvae from the inside-out remains viable long after, almost indefinitely.

Of course there's not much more that you can do anyway. Burning the hive equipment isn't realy an option in this case.

Wash your hands and tools thoroughly with soap and water (and maybe bleach).

[sqkcrk]

Nothing you showed illustrates AFB. It's really hard to tell much from photos like these. It does appear by the darkness of the combs that the colony had been in the wall a number of years. I would not assume an AFB problem.

Why isn't it a good idea to locate your new hive near where the old hive lived?

[Michael Bush]

It looks like normal brood comb. There is nothing here that would in any way make me think they have AFB.

[Rasta Bee]

"Why isn't it a good idea to locate your new hive near where the old hive lived? "


From what I understand, if the hive was poisoned with pesticides it could be in the honey. In turn the new bees would take it back to the hive, and the same cycle happens again. The same would be true if it were AFB, the spores would be taken back to the new hive and trouble begins. So if I wasn't certain what happened to the last hive I should have exercised more caution placing my new hive in such close proximity without at least sealing off the old hive. Im a total newb to bee keeping, this is my first hive, so what do I know??

Thanks for all the replies.

[sqkcrk]

Makes a certain amount of sense. But, since bees fly, did you move the hive to the other side of the house or more than 3 miles away. If you didn't move them 3 or more miles away, they might as well have been right where you wanted them to be in the first place, because they will be able to rob whatever honey is or was still in the wall.

That's why I asked the question.

You did the right thing. Don't fret about that. Besides, by cutting out the old comb you got to see how bees fill a cavity and you can now insulate that wall. Win, win.

[Rasta Bee]

After totally removing all the comb, we sealed off the cavity with 6 mil plastic, replaced the boards then sealed over the outside of the boards with plastic. Unless the bees chew through plastic there is really no way for them to enter the old cavity. Once we released the bees from the hive they flew directly to the old spot and we observed them trying to get in. After sometime, they seemed to have given up trying to enter. Thanks for your reply.

[virginiawolf]

Rasta Bee, when I first got bees I wanted them to do well and AFB was something I was trying to understand more clearly and was concerned about. I had some used equipment which can sometimes be contaminated and I had lost a hive in winter etc. The people on this site helped me too by looking at pictures I posted. It was one of the first things I ever posted about. I didn't want to get it and have it spreading to neighbors hives etc. Luckily things were ok for me too. This is good responsible thinking to be asking about this in my opinion. I think you will do well with your bees. If I ever get AFB I would want to end the problem immediately so it didn't get around. I'm glad you got a positive response. These members that responded are people I look up to and I am inspired by. That comb might be usable for some swarm traps or something if you want more bees Ahh you burnt it. Oh well. You have more coming

[sqkcrk]

Da wolfman is back. Where ya been? Busy?

[virginiawolf]

Hi Mark, Yes, Chasing bees etc. First swarms happened this year despite trying to keep on top of the hives. I caught the first one twice a few weeks ago then I got to meet some neighbors yesterday when my bees swarmed over to the porch they were working on and stopped their project. Luckily I was home and they came knocking and it ended up well. I got up there and smoked them and misted water around and put lemon grass oil in a box and even cut part of the wood to look inside. The guy said it was his house handed me a sawzall and a hammer and said he was ripping it out anyway. I never saw an actual cluster just a bunch of bees marking the front of the house and going in and out of the wall and acting like they wanted to set up shop. There had been a fire in this house. Maybe the smell of smokey wood attracted them. The neighbors were nice. I gave them some honey and some home made soap. They gave me a beer and sold me a nice new oxy acetylene cutting/welding torch. I have wanted one and this must have been the bees way of getting me a deal on it and introducing me to some new friends. It took several hours for the bees to lose interest. Nobody got stung and everybody seemed to have a bit of fun with the visit. I'm not the biggest fan of coors light but after broasting in my bee suit it was about as delicious as delicious gets
I'm kind off topic here but bees in a wall space is close I guess Home on a nice saturday afternoon How are you?
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[sqkcrk]

Taking a break from working bees. Spent the morning moving nucs, supering, rotating deeps and making nucs.

Got some bees in the roof of my Church that need taking out before the Roofing Contractors get to work. There have been bees in that spot for decades. Someyears they have died, but they have gotten reoccupied the next Spring by a swarm from another location somewhere in Town.

[virginiawolf]

Taking a break feels good after being hard at it. The heat reminded me yesterday that a bee suit becomes a heat suit/ sweat suit and water tastes soooo Good I bet you have some nice strong nucs. Are you selling a specific type of bee? Will you be getting the bees out of that roof? I'm picturing a roof full of honey. I read some on getting bees out of walls and a Bee Vac and a screen cone type trap and squirting bee go into the wall were some things I might need to understand how to do in the future. It can apparently get to be a real problem. If there are any suggestions you think I should investigate for future bees in walls, I'm all ears I will start with trying to prevent swarms but my guess is I will lose that battle again in the future. It looks like some honey is in my future this year This is my third year. I finally took some honey and shared it. Here is a picture. I tried Ross Rounds. The one hive banged them right out the other hive didn't touch them but rather swarmed. I moved that empty ross rounds box over to the hive that was jamming. The honey tastes good flowery kind of orangey? IMG_0393.jpg
Sorry I'm off topic Rasta Bee. I got excited to talk with sqkcrk. I bet your bees will enjoy Portland. I want to go there one day Welcome to the forum Can you post a picture of your bee hive? That would be cool to see A nice diseaseless beehive