Hi all
About 10 years Paul Cappy, NYS apiculturist, went around to all the NY clubs to warn of the impending cataclysm to be wrought by Nosema ceranae. He recommended that all of us start feeding Fumagillin. After the presentation I asked for a show of hands of how many folks expected to feed Fumagillin to their bees. No hands were raised. Of course, this being Ithaca, there may be a deep seated preference against feeding antibiotics to bees and livestock in general. In hindsight, however, this anecdote is instructive. Why do it if you don't even need it?

Quoted material follows, for the purpose of educating the public, only:

Until a few years ago, it was general practice in central and northern Europe that beekeepers added to the last winter feed the antibiotic fumagillin, as prophylactic treatment against Nosema. In the case of acute nosemosis outbreaks, the bees were sprayed by a sugar solution dosed with fumagillin. It has not been proven whether this method, practised over many decades, produced resistant strains of nosemosis. After the application of fumagillin was stopped in Europe and illegal applications were also reduced, some expected an increase in colony losses caused by nosemosis. However, this did not happen. The colony's self-healing power can be supported and an outbreak of Nosema can be avoided by simple beekeeping measures. 

In the meantime, Nosema apis has been nearly completely replaced by the pathogen Nosema ceranae, imported from Asia. In some countries such as Spain, the new pathogen has been blamed for being responsible for disastrous losses, such as in spring 2006. Therefore, Mediterranean countries in particular have urged the approval of a medicament against nosemosis. In the most countries, however, losses due to Nosema infestation did not increase after the application of fumagillin was stopped. If there is a connection between nosemosis and the aggravated colony losses in winter, it is still not explainable. Therefore, in these countries, there remains the question of whether the approval of a medicament with an antibiotic as an active substance is an absolute necessity. 

In many countries, nosemosis has been controlled simply by management measures. Therefore, in the case of nosemosis in particular, the beekeeper should always examine if the application of medicaments is necessary. 

Ritter, W. (2014). Medicinal products. In: Bee health and veterinarians. OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health). pp. 173-179

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