<Here in UK we have a destruction policy for AFB, absolutely no
<exceptions...There are
<many of us here that think this policy should be extended to EFB as well.>

    From my reading (I'm pretty new to beekeeping), EFB is a stress disease.
Melissococcus is endemic, and the disease appears in times when the larvae
are fed insufficiently. If this is correct, what purpose would be served by
burning EFB hives? An endemic bacillus will not be eliminated either by
treatment or by burning; wouldn't it be better to deal with an EFB hive by
identifying the cause of the stress and eliminating it? Or is my reasoning
cockeyed somewhere?

        I would totally support burning for AFB, but I wonder where the bees
come into contact with spores, given the pattern of sporadic isolated
outbreaks?

Regards,

Robert Brenchley

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