AFB, Garbage, & Slaughter houses.

[Brian D. Bray]

My younger brother decided to take the beginning beekeepers course from the Master Beekeepers program.
He came by today with a question.  Seems one of the instructor's (Dr. No Name) made the comment that surveys have shown that hives located near garbage dumps and slaughter houses have a much higher AFB rate than hives in other locations.  He said the instructor couldn't give an answer as to why.

I said, "You what that tells me?"

He said, "well it tells me that bees near garbage dumps and slaughter houses are foraging off animal waste."

"Maybe," I said, "But unlikely.  What is likely is that either the bees are foraging water that is contaminated with raw animal fluids, and/or the Wasps and Hornets, who readily forage on animal wastes and fluids are taking the infection to the bees.  Dining on raw meat one day and trying to rob a nearby bee hive of its honey the next."

I will try to get the name of the person who made the initial statement about AFB, garbage dumps and slaughter houses from my bother's class notes.

Mean while:  Discussiion is open.

[rdy-b]

 Dont know about slauterhouses but there are a lot of junk hives going to the dump
in proper disposal of old beekeeping operations and such-interested to hear about the slauterhouses--RDY-B

[AllenF]

I would like to see documentation or a study on that to prove it one way or another.  I think that it is false right off the top of my head.  Never heard about slaughter houses or even dumps.  I know around here infected hives are burnt not tossed.   

[rdy-b]

if seen alot of stuff go to the dump-sooner or later  :lol:  RDY-B

[Michael Bush]

Assuming it is true, and I don't know that, I think it's doubtful it has to do with them getting infected since AFB is an obligate parasite of honey bees, not wasps or anything else.  More likely something they are foraging is creating a better environment for the AFB  which is already there, to flourish.

[Brian D. Bray]

Dont know about slauterhouses but there are a lot of junk hives going to the dump
in proper disposal of old beekeeping operations and such-interested to hear about the slauterhouses--RDY-B

The question was about bee hives sighted near garbage dumps not hives being tossed.

[rdy-b]

of course it was  :) those are the bees foraging-robing propelis and cleaning up
fouled comb that has been taken to the dump-any used bee equipment will attract bees
and the poor soul that sets hives close to a dump is going to roll the dice if his bees are
with in flying distance-still cant figure the saluter house -RDY-B

[Bee Happy]

Assuming it is true, and I don't know that, I think it's doubtful it has to do with them getting infected since AFB is an obligate parasite of honey bees, not wasps or anything else.  More likely something they are foraging is creating a better environment for the AFB  which is already there, to flourish.

Based on that - the AFB (bacteria? fungus? creepy crawly?) is essentially "usually present" in X# of hives; so a question for me is - what keeps their resistance high?