Thank you for all of the helpful responses, specifically to Stan and Bob.

Thanks for confirming that the milk is supposed to completely clear, not 
coagulate.  This means that the brood I sampled had a different type of 
enzyme or an acid that coagulated the casein in the milk instead of 
completely breaking it down.

Regarding mite levels, some of the hives are high on mites.  I never 
treat in the spring so that I can easily tell which breeder queens used 
during the prior year produced mite resistant hives.  PMS brood is an 
easy indicator for me and requeening fixes it temporarily.  This 
particular brood meltdown looks different enough from what I see 
periodically in PMS hives to make me take a close look.  But I agree, it 
is probably just a mite issue.

Bob, strange looking brood is also what I look for most, but I ignore it 
and just requeen if not foulbrood.

I find it interesting that you mention smell.  Last time I had an AFB 
problem there was absolutely no smell, but obvious scale and ropy 
brood.  PMS brood and chalkbrood produces a variety of smells that I 
encounter periodically, but I don't have enough experience to 
differentiate AFB smell.

I agree that after 5 years (and lots of divided hives) since the last 
burning it is time for me to start finding AFB again.  Which is why I am 
spending so much time looking for it.  I have never used prophylactic 
antibiotics but I might start doing so during almond pollination next year.

Trevor, to answer your question, I am worried about getting it from 
another beekeeper.  Last year I heard rumors that beekeepers were 
putting boxes of honey into almond orchards, so that while other hives 
robbed them out it would look like they were live hives.  There are also 
feral hives around that are infected.

--Jeremy Rose
San Luis Obispo, CA

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