I would like to congratulate the contributor of the article written by
Mr. James Driscoll, Apicultural Advisory Officer, Palmerston North).
This is the kind of contributions that I hope will continue to be aired
through this forum! This type of contribution will not only enrich our
knowledge "bank" but also make Bee-L a pleasurable meeting place!
I would like to add a couple of sentences on the subject of bacterial
reproduction to assist those beekeepers who may not have studied
bacteriology.  Bacteria reproduce NOT by sexual contact, but rather
by a complex process known as mitosis (without complicating the
explanation) the contents of the nucleus form strands. The strands
split lengthwise in exact equal halves. These halves then break into
segments known as chromosomes. These segments come together in pairs and
regroup in two equal sets, hence two new cells. The terrible thing about
bacterial reproduction (putting it bluntly) is that germs reproduce in
progression: 2,4,8,16,32,64  - - - - nth. I hope to have helped to
clarify this area for my fellow beekeepers who have not had
the benefit of having studied cell mutiplication. (Ref. Webster's
Universal Dictionary, 1988, p1152).
HAPPY HOLIDAYS