Teaching a lively bunch of beginners who yesterday asked these two questions about AFB:
  • if a rope test confirms to a beekeeper that AFB is present, couldn't they simply close the hive and burn everything straight away, before the inspector visits (but not to exclude notification)?
  • if the infected bees are in a polyhive, is that burned? There are pollution issues with burning the material.

I'll copy these questions to Steve Sunderland but I wondered if any of you folk have experience of these issues and/or views on the responses.

Re first question I guess the inspectorate may wish to take DNA samples and to supervise the destruction of the colonies/equipment.