Before I get accused of anything further, let me reiterate:

1.  I have personally seen considerable scale in hives belong to commercial
beekeepers and was told "we can't quarantine/burn all hives with scale or we
would put commercial beekeepers out of business".

2.  I do not have sufficient exposure to large numbers of commercial
beekeepers to let me form an opinion of whether the preceding quote is
accurate.  However, based on the exposure I do have I lean toward thinking
it is accurate.

3.  Dr. H. Shiminuki was long the USDA's resident expert on AFB, and at one
time or another received just about every award provided for his
contributions to American beekeeping.  In the year or two immediately before
his retirement he gave many talks urging beekeepers to try to stop using
terra. prophylactically, in order to delay the onset of resistance for as
long as possible.  He said that for most operations scale was so widespread
that it was impossible to stop using terra. prophylactically without causing
widespread outbreaks of the actual disease.

4.  Why do almost all commercial operations still use terra.
prophylactically?  Because they are afraid of being infected by 'someone
else'?  Get real...the 'someone else' is themselves!  By using terra.
prophylactically the disease has been masked (not cured) but is still
widespread.


Lloyd
Lloyd Spear, Owner Ross Rounds, Inc.
Manufacturers of Ross Rounds Comb
Honey Equipment, Sundance Pollen Traps
and Custom Printer of Sundance Labels.

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