Angela and Keith Copi wrote:

 > How do I get off the TM treadmill?  Do I just stop
 > using it and see what happens?

I would do just that if you are a hobby beekeeper.

You will get lots of opinions on this. Dusting is a good, accepted
preventive action. Patties are not.

The first hives I purchased (in 1991) had AFB when I bought them. I
burned them and started fresh. I treated by dusting for a few years, but
found that the incidence of AFB is fairly low (about 4% in Maine, which
includes the 60,000 hive brought in each year). I also noticed it was
most prevalent with certain beekeepers (most no longer keep bees) but
who did use TM. When they shared a field with other beekeepers, they
spread the disease, so I stayed home and did not offer my hive for
pollination.

If I was a commercial pollinator, I would dust. Since I am a hobby
beekeeper, I do not. But I do keep the TM in reach, not to "cure" but as
a preventative if AFB is in the area. If I do get AFB again, I will burn
the equipment, just as I did when I started.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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