Guidelines For Rural Beekeeping In Queensland

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Disease control American Foulbrood (AFB) control program The DPI&F has shared commitment with the apiary industry in Queensland to control AFB in managed colonies. The strategies adopted include culturing of bulk honey samples for the presence of AFB disease agent to detect infected apiaries, inspections by Apiary Officers to identify individual infected hives and subsequent destruction and/or sterilisation of beekeeping equipment and an extension program. Beekeepers also have an ongoing responsibility to inspect their own hives for brood diseases. Also, the adoption of an agreed AFB management plan by each infected apiary owner is critical to the control of this serious disease. Movement restrictions or quarantines may be applied to noncooperative beekeepers. AFB awareness field days and inspections on infected apiaries are conducted to train beekeepers in field diagnoses of most diseases focusing chiefly on AFB. Honeybee laboratory A honeybee diagnostic and research facility is located at the DPI&F Animal Research Institute (ARI) at Yeerongpilly in Brisbane. This laboratory is specifically designed to service the honeybee industry in Queensland and has the capacity to diagnose the major bacterial, viral, fungal and diseases of honeybees. Samples for disease diagnoses can be submitted to the laboratory by individual beekeepers and a completed Advice Sheet must accompany samples. These Advice Sheets are available from the Apiary staff section and contact numbers are listed on page 34. The honeybee laboratory supports the AFB control program by processing honey samples. A 100 mL sample of bulk honey is cultured for AFB disease agent and results mailed to the owner. Collecting samples for AFB testing It is important that: • honey samples represent all of the hives in a particular operation so an accurate picture of disease status can be obtained • clean honey samples, free of wax/comb and debris, are required for testing • candied honey can be tested • a Honey Sample Advice Sheet must accompany each honey sample submitted for testing. Interpretation of AFB positive test results Honey testing positive for AFB is rated from 1+ to 3+. • 1+ reading means 1–20 AFB bacterial colonies are present on the culture plate. • 2+ reading means 21–50 AFB bacterial colonies are present on the culture plate. • 3+ reading means more than 50 AFB bacterial colonies are present on the cultural plate. These scores indicate the likelihood of clinical signs of AFB being present in the hives from which the honey sample has originated. A 3+ score means that clinical signs of disease will almost certainly be present. However, a 1+ score indicates that there is approximately a 56% chance that clinical signs of AFB will be present in the brood frames of a hive or hives represented by the honey sample. 32
Testing for other diseases Other samples can be submitted to the honeybee laboratory for testing for other diseases. These samples include: • adult bees for testing for Nosema (at least 20 adult bees) • brood samples for testing for AFB, European foulbrood (EFB) and Chalkbrood • larvae for viral testing (at least 20). Inspection of beehive for diseases 33
Page 1: Queensland the Smart State Guidelin
Page 4 and 5: QI04110 ISSN 0727-6273 © State of
Page 6 and 7: Honey Sheds and Quality Assurance 2
Page 9 and 10: Introduction Beekeeping is one of A
Page 11 and 12: Table 2. Some of the major beekeepi
Page 13 and 14: Apiaries are classified into classe
Page 15 and 16: Types of beekeeping activities Migr
Page 17 and 18: Apiary site located on a stock rout
Page 19 and 20: Fee/Permit As of December 2004. Fee
Page 21 and 22: A swarm of honeybees 13
Page 23 and 24: Queensland Parks and Wildlife Servi
Page 25 and 26: Main Roads requirements For efficie
Page 27 and 28: Department of Natural Resources and
Page 29 and 30: Good beekeeping practices Hive plac
Page 31 and 32: The beekeeper should not expose cap
Page 33 and 34: Transporting hives Methods of shift
Page 35 and 36: Honey, Sheds and Quality Assurance
Page 37 and 38: Department of Equity and Fair Tradi
Page 39: Southport 10-12 Young Street, South

Guidelines For Rural Beekeeping In Queensland

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