[log in to unmask]  wrote:
> i posted some links that did not support my claims. i posted these links after quite a bit of offlist pressure, after i had already _politely asked_ for patience, as we were in the middle of preparing 2 talks.

I am sorry Dean. I certainly never meant to put undue pressure on you.
It was a simple mistake I made in assuming that in preparing for this
talk for six months that you would have your sources and research
handy. Easy mistake to make. I never said you were barking up the
wrong tree. Far from it.

It's just that many outlandish claims have been presented on this
forum as well as others. When you and Dee keep referring to the
virtual avalanche of "new research" I can't help wanting  to see it. I
am one of the participants in the "Informed Discussion of Beekeeping
Issues and Bee Biology"

The Vita web site is a crowning example of the type of PseudoScience
so many of us oppose. Make unsupported claims based upon wild
conjecture and take it to the bank. However, digging around their
confusing web site, I found out they are using bacteria as a treatment
for bee diseases. This is a novel approach, one that I hadn't heard
of.

Evidently the USDA is interested in this as well

> To explore immune system activation in the honey bee, Apis mellifera L., larvae of four ages were exposed through feeding to spores of a natural pathogen, Paenibacillus larvae larvae, to cells of a diverse set of related nonpathogenic bacteria, and to bacterial coat components. ...  It is proposed that nonpathogenic bacteria can be used as a probiotic to enhance honey bee immunity, helping bee larvae, and other life stages, survive attacks from pathogens in the field.

"Bacterial Probiotics Induce an Immune Response in the Honey Bee
(Hymenoptera: Apidae)"
Jay D. Evans and Dawn L. Lopez
USDA–ARS Bee Research Laboratory, BARC-East Building 476, Beltsville, MD 20705

The key difference is that the scientists reveal the extensive work
they have done while Vita concentrates on outlandish claims while
fishing for your money. I am sorry if this raises a red flag for me. I
will try to be more patient in the future.

pb

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