Greetings!
        Referring back to my last post, I would like to emphasize
that most of us are not keeping bees in isolation. If there are
beekeepers within several miles/kilometers of your hives you are
influenced by their practices. If there are bees near you with AFB or
mites, you will eventually get these problems.
        Basically, there seem to be two camps. The first considers
disease to be pandemic and chooses to take preventive measures. The
second tries to treat on an as-needed basis. I don't see how an
objective observer could condemn either approach.
        Quote from 1997 Apimondia Proceedings:
        "American foul brood was very important from the very
beginning, as it is the only bee disease that has an epidemic
evolution. That is why in many countries drugs are used for
control... As the disease outbreaks again, even after a short ceasing
of the therapy, the disease must be treated permanently." -W. Ritter,
et al.
        Most commercial beekeepers have settled into a routine of
preventive treatment that includes antibiotics, miticides, and
introduction of new queens from selected stock. They believe with
justification, that keeping bees would not be economically feasible
without these methods. In modern beekeeping, a person may be
responsible for the care of 1000 or more hives. Attention to
individual may be simply impossible. And as the majority of bees in
US and other countries are held by commercial beekeepers, it makes
perfect sense for individuals to follow the practices of the
majority, since we are concerned about the bee population as a whole.

        That said, it is worth studying the opposite point of view. I
recently searched the Internet for standards for the production of
"Organic Honey." Since honey's reputation as a pure product is
slipping, I think it is a very worthy objective to to try to produce
honey without using hazardous chemicals. But how to do it?
        The traditional treatment for AFB involves killing the hive
and destroying or sterilizing the equipment. Currently there is no
approved method in the US for killing bees, that I know of.
Furthermore, this method presupposes an apiary inspection program,
which we no longer have in most states. Finally, some method of
tracking the supers is essential, since if a hive breaks down in
summer, it has undoubtedly released spores into the honey supers,
which will spread the infection. In other words, controlling AFB by
the traditional route requires extreme diligence, with thorough brood
nest inspection at least 3 times a year (spring, summer, fall).
        As far as varroa mites go, there are no chemical treatments
accepted by the Maine Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association (MOFGA)
nor The Nova Scotia Organic Growers Association (NSOGA) standards.
Both associations accept menthol against tracheal mites.
Interestingly, the Nova Scotia Assn. allows treatment (not
prevention) of AFB with terramycin. Both also sanction the use of
sugar syrup, where the survival of the colony is endangered and they
outright condemn the use fumes for removal of honey, as well as
fumigants on stored combs.
        Varroa simply cannot be controlled by mechanical methods
alone. Two substances seem to hold promise of being accepted by the
"Organic" community: Thymol and Rotenone. I don't know if anyone in
the US has tried these. I would be very interested to hear from
European Beekeepers regarding these substances. Also, what are the
methods beekeepers use to kill diseased bees? (This is not addressed
in the standards I saw. Simply letting them die out is
irresponsible.) Finally, if anyone has similar sets of standards, I
would like to see them.

Peter Borst
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Ithaca, NY USA
Peter Borst

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http://www.people.cornell.edu/pages/plb6/