RR>Recently,  Oxytetracycline (OTC or Terramycin) resistant strains of
  >Bacillus larvae (causative organism of American Foulbrood) have been
  >found in Argentina.
 
RR>See:-  Alippi, A. (1994).  Sensibilidad "in vitro" de Bacillus larvae frente
  >diferentes antimicrobianos.  Vida Apicola 66:20-24.
 
Hi Robert,
 
Who are we to deny science...but I would question any reports of this
nature when just a few years ago it was denied that AFB even existed in
the region. Are we to believe that these bees that never had AFB or
TM used to protect them have spontaneously become infected with TM
resistant strains of AFB? At least in the US we have a long history
of AFB and chemotherapy with TM.<G>
 
In the US we beekeepers have not had any verifiable reports from other
US beekeepers of any resistant strains of AFB. It may be that our
regulatory scientists here burn the hives that do not respond to TM and
this makes a difference. Or could it bee that it is true that most
American beekeepers do not treat sick hives which is the case for most
as I have never met a US commercial beekeeper worth his salt that wastes
time treating AFB hives other then playing around with it behind the
barn. (AFB is uncommon in US feral honeybee colonies, and many beekeeper
can go a lifetime without seeing a feral hive with AFB in many areas
of the country.)
 
In any case most commercial beekeepers use TM one or more times in their
bee hives, in sugar dust, in sugar syrup, grease patties, pollen
substitutes, and even in the drinking water in arid areas.
 
It use to be that if you found 10 dead outs in a beekeepers yard of
100 hives or more maybe one would have AFB. Today you can find 50 to 100
dead outs in a beekeepers yard and still only find one AFB. I would say
that the beekeepers are having their problems keeping their bees alive
but that problem is not AFB, resistant or not. If TM does fail there are
other materials that are just as good if not better such as Tylosin a
antibiotic that is not registered for use but has passed many years
of repeated bee tests in the US and other places for it's effectiveness
against AFB and has been found to be 33% more effective then TM.
 
                               ttul Andy-
 
 
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 ~ QMPro 1.53 ~ "Where there are fruits & nuts, there are beekeepers"