hello Deknow & All,

You ask excellent questions. I can only make guesses from my experiments.

Not knowing  the amount of time nosema ceranae has been in Dee's operation
makes a diagnosis problematic.

I have provided all I know and have learned since I discovered nosema
ceranae in my yards and is in the archives. Randy Oliver has an excellent
series in ABJ concerning nosema. I could send you his article which will be
in the next Bee Culture with his permission which has the latest
information.

Dee is so against "dopes' that I hate to suggest treatment but obviously
what I would do.

As for the equipment:
If heavily stained and Jerry B. has confirmed N. ceranae I would think in
time N. ceranae would raise its ugly head again and take out hives.

In my opinion Dee's methods  will not help against the fungi which in the
last stages causes the bees to go off feed and literally starve.  However
something has to be said for her keeping her bees on comb which have never
had fluvalinate or coumaphos used however the comb in my hives has never had
those chemicals used yet I have been fighting n. ceranae for around two
years.

I have devised a system for which the novice as well as the commercial beek
can easily detect N. ceranae but Dee does not feed her bees so would be of
little use to her.

My method explained last Monday to the Kansas beekeepers at their meeting.

* If* you have tested and know you have N. ceranae in your hives then.

1. feed a measured amount of feed at three month intervals. ( pint or quart
would be enough as for test purposes)

1a. If the feed is gone in a week or next trip no treatment is needed.

1B. *If* when you return hives which are strong have not touched the feed
are in the yard I would treat the whole yard with the recommended drench.
Check in a week and repeat (as per label) until the hives go back on feed.

2. Hives not taking feed with feeders filled with dead bees ( starving and
last stages of N. ceranae) I would depopulate those hives and treat with
acetic acid before installing bees again.

Beekeepers always say there as many ways to keep bees as there are
beekeepers and some may not agree with my methods but the above is the
method I use now and will until I find a better method.

Randy what do you think of my method? Be honest its hard to hurt my 
feelings!

bob

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