Hi All
 
Thanks Judy, George and P-O Gustafsson for your interesting follow on
to the original post about ancient and present day bacteria that help
bees.
 
As the original paper mentioned it has been found that bees have a
complete ecosystem of bacteria within them performing various tasks
ranging from treating pollen, to proccessing it to  producing
antibiotics and things that deter tracheal mites.
 
Judy asked what the present status of these symbionts is in
commercial hives.
 
I am sure in 90% of africa they are OK. I am sure in much of europe
they are not, and most of the US definitely not. I am sure that in
central and south america they are OK. I am sure that in Australia
they are reasonably healthy, and probably not so good in many other
areas where bees are treated a bit like China etc. This would be
based on a history of treating bees in these countries based on AFB
and EFB presence.
 
Many remedies are available for treating negative infections of
bacillus. seeing as only one strain of bacillus is causing a problem
one only wants to get that one. Things like bacteriophage (bacterial
viruses) that make bacteria temperature sensitive spring to mind -
application of a phage rich solution of honey in spring would wipe
out any bacillus in the guts of bees that went into the brood cluster
and got warmed to the point where the phage became active.
 
Phage are super specific to bacterial hosts and are easy to produce
in huge amounts. They are non-toxic to humans and as soon as
resistance begins to show in the target it is very easy and cheap to
breed new and better phage.
 
Why is there no such remedie? Because it is too easy to do, because
the return is too low and because a specific strain would last a
maximum of two years - so agro companies would not be interested.
This is the same as the development of bacillus biopesticides for
citrus crops - it is difficult to get big companies interested in
such technologies.
 
So once again I wish to draw an analogy to show why I believe
antibiotics are bad. If in human soceity it was discovered, by a
species that kept us in city like boxes, that when we had too many
beer trucks driving around in our streets we developed diahorrhea and
could not raise our young without them being deformed. If this
species then applied some form of chemical on us that meant we could
no longer 'synthesize' trucks it would in the long term lead to us no
longer being able to produce antibiotics and ship medical supplies in
trucks. We would have to use cars and planes -raising the short term
cost. If an enemy attacked, say a giant water or oil sucking beast we
would not be able to use trucks in amnufacturing armaments to treat
ourselves - and the beast would have an advantage. We would work very
hard trying to use cars and planes and burn out ourselves and other
things would happen. We would get delinquent children, social
dsiruption etc. Sort of like Terror my sin.
 
Just some ideas.
 
Keep well
 
Garth
Garth Cambray           Camdini Apiaries
15 Park Road
Grahamstown             Apis mellifera capensis
6139
South Africa
 
Time = Honey
 
If you are not living on the edge you are taking up too much space!!