Hello All,
Allen wrote:
 There *are* conditions that very closely mimic AFB.

Allen is correct.  The problem is made harder by the PMS frames.  However
PMS frames do not have scale, smell and fail the ropey test. Usually the
cell cap can be removed and the larva extracted by the beekeeper with a pair
of tweezers. The first beekeeper put PMS frames in the mix which we later
removed. Also a few frames we saw nothing wrong with.
Allen wrote:
 If this is indeed AFB, and  it is not getting worse, but seems to be
controlled, then you have a very  interesting situation.
AFB the oldest foe of beekeepers is *back with a vengence*. In the Apis
newsletter they report wide spread hives being lost to AFB. in Florida. The
AFB problem is mounting in the U.S.. Sadly many beekeepers only find the AFB
in the spring of the year going through deadouts.
Bob  wrote:
 He had been using hygienic queens.  Unlike the old days where AFB was
clearly visible now we are finding only a  few cells per side and the bees
have cleaned out everything but the scale.
Allen wrote;
 This is assuming that there was something else in the first place.  Perhaps
 there are just a few cells that were infected.
I wish I knew the answer to this important question. The slide of Dr. Larry
Conners of the one cell of AFB always comes to mind.  In my opinion what we
have been looking at is the work of hygienic bees but would like to hear
from others with AFB and using known hygienic queens.
Allen wrote:
Personally, I am not seeing ANY AFB of any type at all so far.  We don't
 have the resistant AFAIK, and maybe the queens we are getting these days
are  more resistant to AFB that the ones we used to get, but we are just
unable to  find any.
For years in the U.S. treating with terramycin prevented the active AFB and
for the first time in the history of beekeeping the worst plague of
beekeeping was a non issue. I have been monitering the problem over the last
four years and do see the AFB problem increasing. Keep a sharp lookout.
Allen wrote:
 However if this scale tests positive in a *lab* test, then you know that
the
 equipment has AFB and then it is like being a little pregnant.  The
decision is
 at that point whether to destroy or irradiate *all* the equipment in this
batch
 or to just get rid of the scale and rely on drugs and hygienic queens to
keep  he  disease at bay.
Each beekeeper has to decide on his own which plan to follow. Both these
beekeepers are using the burn, render comb and boil in Lye water plan.  This
plan dates back to the high point of AFB in the U.S.(1940's).
 If the you are only getting rid of the scale and there are only a few cells
here
 and there, why not just knock down the few scaly cells and let the bees
clean
 them up?  The resulting frames will not be significantly more contaminated
than  the rest of the frames.
. Will answer with a couple quotes from *The Hive and the Honey Bee* ( copy
1992 pg. 1085)
"Approximately 2.5 BILLION spores are produced in each infected larva."
"Spores can remain viable INDEFINETLY on beekeeping equipment"
"Spores of AFB germinate approx one day after igestion by the larva"
"ONE spore is sufficient to infect a larva a day old after egg hatch"
"Based on statistics submited by the Apiary Inspectors of America from 44
reporting states ,1.8% of all colonies inspected in the U.S. had American
Foulbrood disease in 1984."
Could AFB the sleeping giant be waking up?
Allen wrote:
 It is most interesting to hear that hygienic queens are working that well.
I'd
 be interested to know how many hives in the outfit had these queens and how
 consistent they are.  If we could get consistently hygienic queens I
believe
 that we would seldom see AFB -- and when we did, it would be a small
concern  compared to what it is now.  Medication would be unnecessary, as
would perhaps  be burning or melting.
Allen, George and others could be right about the above. My opinion is we
are going to have to get another antibiotic registered quickly *before* the
problem gets larger. The beekeeper I work closest with uses the expensive
artificially inseminated hygenic breeder queens.  He is still seeing a
increase in AFB. I have been working with his queen reaing process this
year. Marla Spivak, Sue Colbey and the other researchers are coming up with
amazing queens. The daughters of my friends  breeder queen were reported to
me by the Apple orchard owner as flying *TWO* hours earlier in the morning
polinating the blossoms when the other two beekeepers hives had no activity
at the entrance. Large grove owners noticed these things! Most large grove
owners want several beekeepers to do the polinating so they feel secure if
one beekeeper has a problem the others can take up the slack. The orchard
owner determines which beekeeper brings in the most hives based on
performance. Hmmm.
Bob