>[log in to unmask] wrote:
>>
 I have yet to see a feral colony with a case
>> of American foulbrood or chalkbrood.

Hello!

I have yet to see a feral colony with foulbrood either.  

Some have suggested the disease will invariably kill a feral colony, and 
hence sampling only live colonies will not give a representative (Taylor 
1992 & others since).  But according to a research manuscript by GOODWIN, 
HOUTEN, & PERRY;  “There is, however, no evidence for this assertion.”

These  researchers collected 30 bees from the entrances of feral and 
domestic colonies for testing.  They tested feral colonies with known 
ages, having an average age of 6.7 years.  Seven of 109 (6.4%) feral 
colonies tested positive for B. larvae spores.  Whereas,  ALL the samples 
(100%) of foragers taken from the 15 managed colonies tested positive for 
B. larvae spores.

They also found that of the ferals that did test positive, they all had 
very low spore counts compared with the samples taken from managed 
colonies with clinical symptoms of American foulbrood disease, suggesting 
that most of the feral colonies may not have been diseased at all.

The researchers conclude in the study that:
“Perhaps feral colonies are at greater risk of contracting American
foulbrood disease from managed colonies rather than the other way around.”

So keep on collecting those wonderful Feral Honeybees!

Best Wishes,

Joe Waggle 
EcologicalBeekeeping.com 
‘Bees Gone Wild Apiaries' 
Feral Bee Project: 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FeralBeeProject/ 

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