> I should let many posts go but really need to comment on this one.

I encourage comment, why do you think I post? I already read the paper. Fumagillin is toxic to bees and people. Most antibiotics are naturally occurring toxins that microbes use to kill competitors. Beyond that, fumagillin has been shown to cause chromosomal abnormality. This may not worry old farts like Bob and me, but a young person of child bearing age will want to avoid these types of substances, as chromosome abnormalities cause birth defects like Down's Syndrome. 

Insofar as whether 5 colonies is large enough to study the annual cycle of nosema over three years, I submit that's plenty. The hives were normal hives and their response was practically identical. If you were to study, say -- the potential honey production in my neighborhood over three years, how many hives would you need? Five good colonies properly supered should tell you whether it would be worth moving in a load of bees. Sampling science is poorly understood by lay persons. I'll leave it at that.

PLB

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