www.irishbeekeeping.ie/beehealth/afb0809.html
Map: “Confirmed American Foulbrood Disease Locations”

SHANVAUS APIARY MANORHAMILTON CO. LEITRIM

Eradication of American foulbrood

Get your swarm ‘out of the tree’ and into a box which is absolutely empty. This is extremely important - the box should have a mesh floor or a ventilated top screen (must be covered while taking the swarm) - otherwise it contains nothing, it simply is a container big enough for the bees to form a new swarm cluster inside. Once you have all bees in the box, do this:

Rule 1: Keep the swarm in a cool, dark place for 3 days with no feeding and no comb

Do NOT shake a swarm of bees out of a bush and into a broodbox filled with frames of drawn comb - you are not doing your bees a favour!

So, let the “Macho - Beekeepers” have  their way and let their bees abscond the hive and fly away the next day
You and your bees have:

3 DAYS for PREPARATIONS!
Three days means that you have 72 hours = 4320 minutes! It will take you only 15 minutes to fit 10 Langstroth frames with fresh foundation!

Rule 2: All swarms have to be hived on fresh foundation.

At Shanvaus Apiary every swarm, those of unknown origin as well as those we have seen leaving a particular hive is treated in the same manner: The swarm is kept in a swarm box with no comb or foundation and placed in a cool and dark place for three days. Foulbrood spores, which might be present in the bees’ systems are digested within this period and are no longer infectious. Meanwhile the beekeeper has prepared a hive with at least 10 foundation sheets. We use permanently wired frames with soldered-in foundation.                                                     When hived on the evening of the third day the swarm has a completely new and hygienic start and can make use of the bees’ natural drive to build fresh comb after swarming.

Rule 3: Feed generously after the swarm is hived.

With the help of 4 - 6 litres of thick sugar syrup (3 parts sugar - 2 parts water) a swarm of medium size should be able to draw out 10 frames of foundation within 7 to 10 days. If you find your top-feeder nearly empty after 48 hours, top up with another 2 -3 litres to keep the wax secretion of the younger swarm bees going. A big swarm often needs a second box with another 10 frames to draw out.
 After finding a laying queen and the first patch of capped brood the colony can get a queen excluder on top of the brood boxes and supers with more foundation which will be drawn out and filled with honey as soon as enough nectar is available.