The choice of a national AFB strategy is certainly an interesting
   debate, and may depend on "environmental" factors such as beekeeping
   practices and traditions as much as narrow biological considerations.
 
   I can add a note about one of Gordon's comments re irradiated AFB.
   I was looking at some Gamma irradiated AFB combs which had had a package
   installed earlier. The treatment worked: the colonies were healthy.
 
   However, there was still scale left in the cells (although the cleaner
   bees were getting around to chipping away at some of the scales, and
   the scales looked a little different, since the cleaners had started to
   polish them in to the rest of the cell wall). I brought a toothpick
   sample to the lab and made a standard water suspension.
 
   The spores appeared identical to those from viable AFB scales.
 
   Perhaps not surprising, since the "tumbling", Brownian motion results
   from the spores' size, not motility, but interesting.
 
 
   Kerry Clark, Apiculture Specialist
   B.C. Ministry of Agriculture
   1201 103 Ave
   Dawson Creek B.C.
        V1G 4J2  CANADA          Tel (604) 784-2225     fax (604) 784-2299
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