Rats and hives question.

njoylife10 · April 30, 2011, 08:44:30 PM

The bees are robbing out honey from a cut out we did. The barn was really infested with rats. The worst infestation I had ever seen. All the other sections that weren't the hive were rats nests. I'm concerned about rat poo possibly making it into the honey. When the bees harvest it and put into new comb, will it be clean of all the kinda stuff? ewwww! :shock:

njoylife10

Jim134 · April 30, 2011, 09:28:24 PM

Rats and mice can be the carries of AFB.

BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

njoylife10 · April 30, 2011, 10:08:44 PM

I did not know that. That is very useful info. I didn't see any evidence that there was AFB. Are there any other signs besides the nasty brood comb. The brood all looked very healthy. Can it also remain dormant and not evident? Scary, but I'm pretty sure the don't have it. (where's the crossing my fingers smiley)

njoylife10

Brian D. Bray · May 03, 2011, 12:27:50 AM

Quote from: Jim 134 on April 30, 2011, 09:28:24 PM
Rats and mice can be the carries of AFB.

BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

That reminds me of the post I made a while back about AFB and high incidents of it around slaughter houses and garbage dumps. Rats love those areas and brings back the idea that AFB virus is from an animal source rather than a plant source.

Michael Bush · May 03, 2011, 01:14:02 AM

>Rats and mice can be the carries of AFB.

AFB can only live in a beehive. But anything that hauls spores from one hive to another hive...

Jim134 · May 03, 2011, 05:48:34 AM

Quote from: Michael Bush on May 03, 2011, 01:14:02 AM
>Rats and mice can be the carries of AFB.

AFB can only live in a beehive. But anything that hauls spores from one hive to another hive...

Michael Bush ........

Can spores come from bee hives only :?

BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

T Beek · May 03, 2011, 09:14:21 AM

Does this mean that humans could also be carriers of AFB??

thomas

hankdog1 · May 03, 2011, 10:08:44 AM

Quote from: T Beek on May 03, 2011, 09:14:21 AM
Does this mean that humans could also be carriers of AFB??

thomas

Yes you can carry it from one hive to another.

Bee-Bop · May 03, 2011, 12:45:16 PM

That's why in the perfect world your susposed to clean your hive tool , brush, gloves, everything you use between different hives.

Some beekeepers require other beekeepers to wear plastic booties over there shoes also when visiting their yards.

State hive inspectors were supposed to do this at all times, when they visited differnt yards. Ha Ha

Bee-Bop

Jim134 · May 03, 2011, 01:58:24 PM

Quote from: Bee-Bop on May 03, 2011, 12:45:16 PM
That's why in the perfect world your susposed to clean your hive tool , brush, gloves, everything you use between different hives.

Some beekeepers require other beekeepers to wear plastic booties over there shoes also when visiting their yards.

State hive inspectors were supposed to do this at all times, when they visited differnt yards. Ha Ha

Bee-Bop

In MA. State bee inspectors are supposed to wear NO gloves

BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)