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- (c) Permission is granted to freely copy this document in any form, or to print for any use. (w)Opinions are not necessarily facts. Use at own risk. --- ~ QMPro 1.53 ~ "Where there are fruits & nuts, there are beekeepers"