Pete has a valid point in that many beekeepers are leery of dumping yet
another treatment into their hives.  I'd hesitate to use the term
"antifungal poison," but fumagillin is clearly an immune suppressor, and
may inadvertently allow a spike of virus replication (preliminary
suggestive data, that should be taken with a grain of salt).

It is clearly an immune suppressor in humans, so the honey-consuming public
has every reason to be concerned about its wholesale use, especially with
spring treatment in gallons of syrup, which may very well lead to honey
contamination.

And that is one reason that I like the drench.  Unlike Bob, who feels that
it is not cost effective, I find it very cost effective.  With sugar syrup
costing me about $5/gal to mix,  and a bit of labor involved in filling
feeders, I find that a drench not only helps to prevent honey
contamination, but saves me labor.  A son and I can drench a yard in a few
minutes, and syrup cost is negligible.

As for Jerry's comment that drenching chills or kills bees, I simply don't
see that.  In setting up cell starters in cold weather, I routinely drench
the shaken bees with 1:1 syrup.  I see no bee mortality on the bottom board.

-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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