> I challenge anyone to show me aline of bees that can, if given a heavily
AFB-infected frame, clean

> up the problem, and not make it worse.
>>
>
I selected strongly for frozen-brood hygienic behavior back in the 1980's
(when AFB used to be much more of a problem in my area).  I put a few of my
most hygienic colonies to the acid test by putting a fully AFB-infected
stinking brood box on top of a hygienic colony.
In each case, I could find no trace of AFB in the hive after about a week.

However, come the next pollen dearth (and the resultant colony stress), I
would often find a cell or two of AFB reappear.  The hygienic colony would
keep the infection largely in check, and signs of sick larvae would again
disappear when pollen became available.

Be clear that I kept close track of such infected hive equipment, and
burned all after the experimentation.

As far as my management today,I gave up prophylactic antibiotic treatments
many years ago, since I did not find them to be cost effective, provided
that I practiced a zero tolerance policy for AFB in my operation--I burn
every frame of any colony in which I find a single infected larvae (I've
done a fair amount of experimentation in marking and tracking colonies
showing a single infected larva--I found that it was not worth it to keep
them alive in the hope that they might recover--even if you pulled out any
infected frames).

That said, if an infected colony is strong, I will often save be bees by
shaking them onto foundation and feeding antibiotic for the first round of
brood (later replacing the queen).  I also apply antibiotic to any colonies
adjacent to an infected colony--after first checking for any signs of overt
infection.

I've used the above management practices for well over a decade with great
success (knock on wood).

-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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