National Bee Unit – South East Region =

December 2005

The end of another busy season for the South East team of bee inspectors brings time to look back a= nd revue the events.

Inspection programme

A h= eavy workload for the team of inspectors make the totals for the south east look impressive. A total of 814 ap= iaries were inspected with nearly 5000 (4954) colonies being checked. 50 apiaries/135colonies were found= to have EFB in the region but only 2 apiaries/3 colonies had AFB. This is roughly 6% of apiaries wit= h EFB so do keep a look out, also for AFB even though it is seemingly rare in the south east. A more comprehensive view of the inspection programme follows= at the end of this letter.

Inspectors not only loo= k for foulbrood but also check for the presence of exotic pests such as Small Hive Beetle (SHB) and Tropilaelaps. The inspections are carried out in areas that are considered to be “at risk”, so if you seem to have inspections more frequently than previously, this may be the reason. Areas near to ports, airports, fruit markets and centres of populati= on are some of the localities considered to be at risk.

We also check for pyret= hroid resistant Varroa whilst inspecting colonies and have found that, as expecte= d, this is gradually spreading throughout the region. The map shows apiaries where resis= tance has been found but I think that this gives a false picture of what is really happening. The bee unit consi= ders mites that are less than 60% susceptible to pyrethroid strips fully resista= nt (IE those where less then 60% of mites are killed when using Bayvarol or Apistan strips) and these are the apiaries shown on the map. I know that when I carry out tests= for resistance that there are many colonies where the results are 70-80% susceptibility – obvious signs of resistant mites in the colony but n= ot the correct criteria to appear on the map.= Of course the map only shows those apiaries that have been tested, t= here are many more that have not and which may well have mite resistance.

In my own experience, n= ow is not the time for complacency. My partner, Carol and I treated our colonies with Apiguard in August, when the weather was good and warm, and having had a good= mite drop were happy about the number of remaining varroa in the colonies. We decided to check the natural mi= te drop in late November and so placed slides under the open mesh floors ̵= 1; shock horror, over 30 mites in one night from one colony and the same on the following night!! Obviously immediate action was needed so treatment was carried out, with the result t= hat over 1000 mites were removed from the colony with the 30 mite drop and over= 500 from another colony nearby. I thought about this incident and decided that with the autumn being so mild,= and colonies working well very late into the year, it has meant that there has = been brood present in reasonable amounts. In fact the colony with the worst mite drop still has 1.5-2 frames of brood (Dadant frame) present at the beginning of December. This late brood rearing has result= ed in a corresponding increase in the varroa mite population. I suspect that this will have occu= rred in many colonies in the south east, so if you have open mesh floors, check = now for natural mite drop and treat straight away if you need to!

&n= bsp;

Other Activities

The other main area of activity = for bee inspectors is “Extension” work. This really means teaching beekeep= ers the methods and techniques to deal with bee disease and other pests such as Varroa and SHB. This year we carried out a very full programme, I hope that you were able to meet the te= am of bee inspectors at one of the following events:

7 IPM days including the West Sussex convention at Brinsbury

10 talks given to beekeeping associations on a wide variety of subjects

13 apiary tours, inspecting and = advising at a number of beekeepers apiaries during one day

8 apiary garden meeting demonstr= ations

A PRT special event arranged by Wisborough Green Bka at which beekeepers brought samples to check for pyrethroid resistant Varroa.

A bee disease meeting for Medway= Bka, highlighting skills and knowledge needed to “see” foulbrood diseases.

We also attended both Plumpton a= nd Brinsbury bee auction and were at Stoneleigh and the National Honey Show.

If any of these events are of in= terest to you then please call me and chat, I am sure that I can tailor something = to your needs whether you have 10 members or 100!

Wishing you all a good new year<= /span>

With regards

Alan Byham

Regional Bee Inspector, South Ea= st Region

Final = totals for Foulbrood 2005Central Science Laboratory - t

<= span style=3D'font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language:= EN-US'>East Sussex

OS 10 km Square Area Name &= nbsp; <= b>AFB apiaries AFB colonies = EFB apiaries = EFB colonies

TQ20 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Shoreham & Hove = &nb= sp; 0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 1 &= nbsp; 1

TQ81 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; E. Hastings&n= bsp; = ; &n= bsp; 0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 2 &= nbsp; 3

Totals &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 3 &= nbsp; 4

Greater London

OS 10 km Square Area Name &= nbsp; <= b>AFB apiaries AFB colonies = EFB apiaries = EFB colonies

TQ18 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Harrow & Ealing = &nb= sp; 0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 1 &= nbsp; 7

TQ26 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Epsom & Sutton = &nb= sp; 0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 1 &= nbsp; 1

TQ28 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; N.W. London &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 4 &= nbsp; <= span style=3D'font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN= -US'>10

TQ29 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Barnet & Finchley = &nb= sp; 0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 3 &= nbsp; <= span style=3D'font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN= -US'>31

TQ36 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Croydon &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 1 &= nbsp; 1

TQ37 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; S.E. London &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 3 &= nbsp; 4

TQ47 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Woolwich & Eltham = <= /span>0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 1 &= nbsp; 1

Totals &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; 14 &= nbsp; = 55

Kent

OS 10 km Square Area Name &= nbsp; <= b>AFB apiaries AFB colonies = EFB apiaries = EFB colonies

TQ46 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Bromley & Orpington = 0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 3 &= nbsp; 4

TQ47 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Woolwich & Eltham = <= /span>0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 2 &= nbsp; 6

TQ56 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Swanley & Kingsdown = 0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 1 &= nbsp; 1

TQ57 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Dartford &= nbsp; &nbs= p; = 0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 1 &= nbsp; 1

TQ66 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Meopham &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 3 &= nbsp; 3

TQ67 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Gravesend &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 1 &= nbsp; 1 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 0 &= nbsp; 0

TQ74 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Staplehurst & Marden = 0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 3 &= nbsp; <= span style=3D'font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN= -US'>10

TQ77 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; N. Rochester & Hoo = = 0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 1 &= nbsp; 1

TQ84 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Headcorn &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 1 &= nbsp; 1

TQ85 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Eyehorne Street &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 1 &= nbsp; 2 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 0 &= nbsp; 0

TQ94 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; W. Ashford &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 1 &= nbsp; 1

TR14 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Stowting & Elham = &nb= sp; 0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 2 &= nbsp; 7

Totals &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; 2 &= nbsp; 3 &= nbsp; 18 &= nbsp; = 35

Surrey=

OS 10 km Square Area Name &= nbsp; <= b>AFB apiaries AFB colonies = EFB apiaries = EFB colonies

SU75 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 1 &= nbsp; 8

SU84 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Farnham &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 3 &= nbsp; 3

SU95 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; W. Guildford/ Woking = 0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 1 &= nbsp; 2

TQ26 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Epsom & Sutton = &nb= sp; 0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 1 &= nbsp; <= span style=3D'font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN= -US'>13

Totals &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 6 &= nbsp; <= /u>26

West Sussex

OS 10 km Square Area Name &= nbsp; <= b>AFB apiaries AFB colonies = EFB apiaries = EFB colonies

SU72 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Petersfield &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 1 &= nbsp; 1

SU80 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Chichester &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 1 &= nbsp; 2

SU81 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; West Dean &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 1 &= nbsp; 3

SU82 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Midhurst &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 1 &= nbsp; 1

TQ00 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Littlehampton &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 2 &= nbsp; 3

TQ11 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Steyning &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 2 &= nbsp; 4

TQ21 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Henfield &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 1 &= nbsp; 1

Totals &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; 0 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 9 &= nbsp; <= /u>15

Grand Total = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = 2 &= nbsp; 3 &= nbsp; 50 &= nbsp; = 135

The above figures show the usual area differences, with East Sussex again having the lowest totals. Greater London has the most colonies with EFB mainly due to several large apiaries with heavy outbreaks of disease. As you can see Barnet & Finchl= ey area has 3 apiaries with 31 infected colonies.

Regional inspection and foulbrood summary

The number o= f inspections carried out, and the overall proportion

of colonies/apiaries with disease for each county = in the region.

County Apiaries &= nbsp; Colonies = %EFB %AFB % EFB % AFB

Code Inspected &= nbsp; Inspected <= span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language:E= N-US'>Apiaries Apiaries Colonies<= span style=3D'font-family:"MS Sans Serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US'> Colonies

= &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp;

ESU &= nbsp; 72 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 275 &= nbsp; 4.2% &= nbsp; 0.0% 1.5% &= nbsp; 0.0%

GRL &= nbsp; 189 &= nbsp; 1536 &= nbsp; 7.4% &= nbsp; 0.0% 3.6% &= nbsp; 0.0%