The supposed connection between nosema and "dysentery" dies hard
Bailey wrote back in 1968
"Dysentery" is a beekeeper's term for the voiding of visibly large quantities
of faeces by bees not in flight; such defaecation occurs when the
weight of the rectal contents exceeds about 40 per cent of the total body
weight. Excess water in food or prolonged confinement is a common cause.
From the USDA, 1978
Spotting or dysentery, not a symptom, may or may not characterize a
nosema-infected colony. Bees of weak colonies that are dying from whatever
cause - nosema, starvation, or queenlessness - may defecate. Conversely,
grossly infected nosema bees may not void noticeable amounts of feces.
PLB
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