Peter wrote

> This being said, I would recommend using terramycin in the spring and
> fall because foulbrood is widespread and easy to prevent. The presence
> of small amounts of terramycin in the brood nest poses no real risk to
> you or your bees. (You will not get resistant bacteria this way,
> because in order for resistance to develop there has to be a viable
> infection. The terramycin *prevents* the spores from developing).

Is AFB prevented?  To me it is just masking the symptoms and it will break 
out again at a later time.  This was shown in an experiment in Australia by 
Dr. Ben Oldroyd when hives with AFB treated with oxytetracycline cleared up 
initially but starting breaking down in a few months after treatment (from 
memory) and were still breaking down 15 month later.

If the oxytet stops the spores from developing, then how did the resistance 
of the vegetative stage occur?  There must have been some oxytet in the hive 
for the vegetative stage to become resistant.

If AFB is so widespread, how does it survive in colonies to become a source 
of infection for other hives in the area?  I would have thought that if the 
treatment is preventing the AFB, how then does it get spread around?  It 
should be the case that if the oxytet is preventing the AFB, there must be a 
stage reached where there is no more AFB in the hive?

It has been shown that if you treat with oxytet, you will get residues in 
your honey, not just in the brood nest.  If someone eats that honey who is 
allergic to antibiotics, then they can have a severe reaction.  The 
withholding period is a lot longer than we care to admit.

Trevor Weatherhead
AUSTRALIA 

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