> Dr Mussen also told me that it is not effective against EFB.  However,
> Tylosin has FDA registration against both AFB and EFB.

My experience and those of others has been tylosin does not control EFB.
When I made my trip North last year in October stopping at commercial
operations I heard of beeks which have had to go back to terramycin in order
to control documented EFB. In two cases beeks have told me that the EFB
problem surfaced after feeding tylosin both spring and the fall before.


> I'm interested in your field experience and reports.  Are commercial
> beeks finding tylosin to be ineffective against EFB?

I believe many beeks quit feeding terra when tylosin was registered.  Also 
many quit feeding terra when the USDA-ARS said AFB
resistant to terra had been found.

 Those new to late summer supplementary feeding
> will need to adjust their mite management strategies, since late
> feeding ramps up varroa levels.

David Vanderdusen talked about the issue when using Miteaway 2. David said 4
months varroa control with constant brood rearing. I immediately went home
from the convention and did my own testing and found that around 5 months
you start seeing varroa loads approaching threshold and K wings starting to
appear. More than one mature varroa in cells.

Important:
The above does not apply to the hobby beek which feed little and does not
crank up his/her bees by feeding pollen patties & syrup prior to almonds/ 6
weeks in almonds/ then into other pollinations or feeding before making
splits.

It is my opinion that many hives need varroa testing and in many cases
treatment twice a year when using formic or thymol. Three times in certain
cases in commercial settings is not unusual.


> Yes, something has clearly changed in the past several years!

My *opinion* after almost fifty years of being involved in beekeeping ( and
applies to CCD) is that we are seeing a breakdown of the bees immune system.
Not a single cause will ever be found. Which makes research very difficult
because a single scenario will never fit all cases.

When I started beekeeping in the 1950's as a sideline migratory beek in
Florida (working for commercial beeks) we NEVER saw bees like we see today.
I have an excellent memory ( my doctor says photographic but only when I
focus). I can describe the house I lived in when 3 years old  and from then
on. Sadly before 3 years is a blur.

My point in is you could simply place a hive on a location, place supers on,
remove the crop and maybe sprinkle terra once a year. Good bees! if the hive
swarmed then 90% of the time you might not get a honey crop but the hive
requeened. Not today!

My opinion:
Genetics today is a big issue and could explain quite a bit of the issue.
Genetics was the final answer put forth by the USDA-ARS on "disappearing
disease".

The best bees I have seen lately have been from imported genetics. However
most of the large queen producers do sell good bees but *in my opinion*
survive poorly unless varroa and nosema are controlled.

I have never seen PMS in my Russian hives and I have ran close to 500 over
the years. The Russian bee can carry a close to threshold varroa load
without virus issues. My last batch 2008 line comes from a Russian queen
breeder which says he has used no treatments for mites for 9 years.

I admit the Russian bee is not as productive as my other lines. In fact
despite the Russian breeder claims are close to last place in honey
production but still a big step in the bee we need to repopulate the feral
population. Excellent winter bee.


> This recurrence of what we call "PMS" after not seeing it for a number
> of years (at least in my operation) is of great interest to me.


I think first one needs to see if PMS or simple EFB. EFB was found in some 
CCD yards. The test kit from Dadant works from my excperience. Quick and 
essy field diagnosis.

  The big question is what actually is "PMS"?
> It's a syndrome, not necessarily a specific pathogen.

The Dr. Shiminuki description is what you see when virus issues arrise when 
hives are over varroa threshold and in the last stages of crashing. Also not 
any detectable known bee problem cause. Such as EFB. When samples were sent 
to Beltsville and no detectable issue other than high varroa load the sample 
was deemed PMS.

PMS is a bit more scatered and the heads of larva are sticking from cells as 
compared to EFB but the new test is the best confirmation for the novice. 
Hygienic hives when strong can keep signs down and all you see can be holes 
in brood pattern with EFB.

However with hives over varroa threshold and crashing PMS is easy to spot 
due to poor housekeeping.

One curious fact when looking over pictures of CCD deadout brood comb was 
the lack of PMS symptoms which led me from the start to doubt a serious 
varroa issue was the main cause. However as I pointed out on BEE-L a few 
years ago ( archives) when a lady beek held up her (claimed) CCD comb on a 
program that the frames were all full of obvious PMS which led me to believe 
her problems might have been related to poor varroa control or possibly even 
EFB.

bob 

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