Is it really common to use prophylactic antibiotic treatments commercially?  In view of the large sizes of antibiotic packages listed in past years in bee catalogs perhaps some have used a lot.  With the new regulations limiting access I suspect anyone who feels addicted to such use will figure out a way to continue such use and the rest of us will see worse disease problems due to limited access.  


I would have to say yes.   The question is are they really prophylactic?  When your hives bounce repeatedly after a treatment,  you get into a habit. When you loose a 150k worth of hives for pollination one year, and the next you treat just in case and make grade,  then is/was it prophylactic?  Its easy to sit outside the commercial window and pass that judgment.  But when your years income is on the line,  how does one prove or test on say 800 hives?  Time does not permit individual test.

Season after season for many operators, A shot of fumigilan here or Tylan there,  sure seems to be a boost.  When you sell 30k packages a year from hives that are actually booming to levels most will never see or understand,  was it a wasted unneeded treatment??


I clearly see both sides.  Every season this debate comes up.  This year,  myself and a close friend had fall dwindles that left better than 800 hives unable to make grade hives that were 14/16 frames in Nov, were 2 in Jan,  would a shot of Tylan in the fall helped?  Not sure  but you can bet next year some of those will get one.

One of the huge issue we face is people with no stake in the game deciding what "prophylactic" really means. I fully understand that certain individuals  have been treating with honey supers on,  but we let these idiots continue, and then punish the rest.  That’s the American way!  Think about it next time you have to show ID to buy cold tablets. What guys like the 3 big names are actually doing to the industry is a crying shame.


FYI  the state of CA mandates that all almonds be propylacticly treated for salmonella with a known cancer agent....Just for thoughts....and we are worried about Tylan for bees.....


Charles

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