In a message dated 7/2/04 8:33:04 AM, [log in to unmask] writes:

<< Using terrapro patties
throughout the year, except during the honey flow, >>

As Aaron said, I am going to say NO, NO, NO! When you wrote that you use
TERRAPRO
patties, WOW, I have to say that you have NO idea whatsoever whether your
colonies
have AFB or not! Terramycin DOES NOT KILL ABF in the slightest.  It just
HIDES the
symptoms of AFB and prevents the death of the bees until you stop using
Terramycin.
Ask any bee SCIENTIST about this but don't ask a bee inspector or a commercial
beekeeper because about 98% of them use Terramycin themselves, and really
don't
seem to understand that Terramycin of ANY OTHER KNOWN DRUG kills AFB spores
without killing the bees.  Write to Beltsville Bee Lab, and they will tell
you that I
am correct.

Back to original subject of losing a newly captured.  Bees will NOT LEAVE OPEN
BROOD (eggs and larvae), and when I hive a new swarm, I ALWAYS use one frame
of
OPEN BROOD and 9 frames of foundation, plus plenty of 1:1 sugar syrup in a
jar over
the inner cover hole, and never recall of a swarm disappearing in my 72 years
of beekeeping.

BTW, honey is NOT the favorite food of the honey bee.  Honey is a winter
survival
food just like hardtack for a distressed sailor, or a K-ration for a soldier
sweating
out a stay in a foxhole.  Nectar, NOT HONEY, is the choice food of the honey
bee.

You are obviously trying hard to learn good beekeeping, and that is what all
others
should be doing rather than guessing and listening to the tales of the "good
old boys".  This my 72 nd season of beekeeping, having usually run over 100+
colonies
for about 50 years, and BELIEVE ME - I AM STILL LEARNING, and I seek all the
info
I can find, but ONLY from bee scientists and bee researchers.

George Imirie

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