Jerry did the favor of giving us all some great information, so in thanks,
I'll nit-pick one minor point.

> I learned years ago that 'gifts' of comb were no gift at all. 

I wouldn't take brood comb from my own father's hives, nor him from mine.
But a gift of drawn honey-super comb is likely the most valuable gift a
novice starting a new hive can get.
Sure, there is a slight chance that honey -super comb could harbor disease,
but the odds are good that the goods aren't odd.
 
And wow, antibiotic in every pollen supplement patty - and I suppose that
the trace levels of the antibiotic can be detected in both the honey and in
the wax, and given what the CHC president recently said, those residues
might persist for quite some time:
http://community.lsoft.com/scripts/wa-LSOFTDONATIONS.exe?A2=BEE-L;13c5f0f9.1
311
http://tinyurl.com/k7zk3go

Anyone using that supplement product who sells honey to the EU might have
some real serious problems with certifications.
Class action lawsuit filing in 3... 2... 1...

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html