> With AFB you  have to get hundreds of million spores to a colony to get it
most likely with symptoms.

And if a million spores will fit on the head of a pin?

Also saying you would need "hundreds of million of spores" for an outbreak
is not a hypothesis I have not heard before but not a veiw held by all
researchers as a hypothesis hard to prove or disprove in a lab situation. As
I said in an earlier post for some unknown reason the AFB spores do not
cause an immediate outbreak but lay dormet until conditions are right. AFB
has confounded (at times) some of our brightest beekeeping minds.

I also do not believe (although I have a decent collection of old books)
that the answers our current beekeeping problems can be found in text of 100
year old books. Books with pictures of the old master working bees in a
double breasted suit, white shirt and tie and a gandy looking helper in bib
overalls.


> it might be good idea to kill the bees to clear the situation at once. But
If he has had symptoms in several places for some time the spores are all
over his equipment, and killing some hives will not clear the situation.

The U.S. AFB problem (huge & pre  WW 2  )  is  well documented in the old
bee magazines. They clearly said that burning did not and in the opinion of
the USDA at the time was going to control the problem. When the situation
gets totally out of control then the use of a chemical was the only
solution.

There are many places in the world which have never seen such a huge AFB
problem and when small and contained many solutions can be used.

Reusing wax from an AFB deadouts was illegal during those years due to
research which showed the AFB spores survived the process.

As I said before. Why take the risk? At times I have bought plastic
foundation unwaxed and waxed myself. I use my best cappings wax. Would not
dream of using recycled AFB brood comb wax!

For most commercial beekeepers the plastic foundation as been a wonderful
beekeeping tool. A wax moth deadout can be cleared in a minute with little
waste instead minutes and set back for new foundation and wiring.

I have developed some super fast beekeeping techniques using divided top &
bottom bars and plastic foundation.

Time & labor are important concerns to me.

Bob

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