> I assume your recommendation to feed fumagillin implies that you think
there's an association of the virus and nosema?

Bailey (Honey Bee Pathology 1981) gives the following:

"Black Queen Cell Virus, Filamentous Virus and Bee Virus Y

These are three common viruses of special interest because they are
intimately associated with Nosema apis (Bailey et al 1980b)."

He goes on:

"They are most noticeable when many queen cells are being reared together in
"queen rearing" (broodless and queenless) colonies from larvae that have
been grafted or inserted into the colonies by the usual techniques of
beekeepers (Laidlaw 1979) and are most usual early in the season."

I am assuming from this that the problem is more acute in cell raisers which
are kept permanently queenless for continuous rearing of batches of cells,
with their strength being kept up by adding frames of sealed brood.  If this
is so, then it is probably better to start cells in a swarm box (or
equivalent set up) for 24 hours and then finish them over the excluder in a
queenright colony (my preferred technique).

Best wishes

Peter 
52°14'44.44"N, 1°50'35"W

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