> My question is, if a hive does have foulbrood and is full of bees, can
> the bees be saved? If you transfer the bees to new equipment, will they
> re-infect the new frames and boxes?? I seems lilkey that they will as
> the living bees must have the spores on them too.
This subject has been beaten to death several times and still comes back.
Destroying good equipment and bees in most of North America is an
outdated, stupid practice that is wasteful and doomed to failure. There
is a great deal of good material in the archives. I won't repeat it here.
If you got foulbrood in the first place, where did it come from? It does
not generate spontaneously. Chances are that even if you buy new bees
and all new equipment that you will very well break down again shortly in
most North American sites if you do not medicate properly. The source is
most likely your neighbourhood. Unless you can eliminate all potential
sources of infection *outside* the hive, destroying the hive and bees will
be *futile*.
Besides, AFB is very simple to treat. As another writer said, just
remove the visible signs of the disease, scrape the hive a bit, if it
makes you feel better, and treat with oxytet as per directions (actually
use a bit more -- up to double the dose recommended).
You will have to treat regularly in the future whether you keep this hive
or get another. AFB is around. Chances are that you got into this
predicament because your medication technique is defective or your
treatment schedule is sloppy. This is where to direct your attention,
not towards wasting good equipment and distressing your bees.
Regardless of what you do, in the future make sure that oxytetracycline
is applied frequently and regularly and in the correct amount during the
active season and that the bees are actually consuming it.
Allen
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