At 10:58 AM 9/1/98 +0200, you wrote:
 
Good Post from Jean-Marie, another side of the coin.
 
>It seems significant to me, now that we have a bee-keeping with new
>contingencies, to completely re-examine our way of making and in
>particular, our way of fighting against these miseries.
 
I am for that, but you got it all rong. In the olden days here in
California and else ware beekeepers did not treat,,,a least for AFB, as
there was no treatment. We killed or shook the bees from AFB diseased hives
and burned the combs. It seemed to work OK, but required some knowledge of
AFB and you had to dig a hole, but in total our AFB rate was kept to 1/2 of
1 percent in good kept bee outfits. And AFB never did infect or effect the
feral honey bee population in any measurable way?
 
Them came along a sulfa drug and you could treat for AFB, well in a short
time most all treated, only those who liked to dig holes or could not tie
their laces did not and continued to burn. I know I was there and my job
was to dig holes and burn the hives once or twice a year. In the bee
outfits that just treated with drugs the AFB rate in a few years became 1/2
of 1 percent, nothing was gained, but they traded the digging of holes for
drugs and young kids like me were without work. I must say here that a few
smart beekeepers in the old days did not just treat, but did a combination
of burning and treatment and these lucky few are still around today with NO
AFB, no holes to did, and no bills for drugs but always vigilant for signs
of AFB or any other disease.
 
Today we continue to do the same now with pesticides, who worries about
AFB, EFB, or even chalk brood..its mites of one flavor or another and we
treat.
 
>To carefully count dead Varroa of natural death each day or only a day each
>week (24 hours). To carefully check the state of the bees and brood: the
>viral attacks are mortals for the colonies. The bees which will be tolerant
>in Varroa must be resistant to the viruses!
 
That's the secret, here in the US those beekeepers who in the past have had
great unexplained loss, more then likely from one virus or another, are the
same one's who have had great losses from both mites. Today we are in a
time of calm, most everyone is treating for mites and loss is small or
null, but watch out for the next big reports of unexplained loss which will
again come and this time it will be from beekeepers who are treating
according to todays recommendations, of course it will be called DR, (drug
resistance), not PMS, but I say both of these diseases, the new and the old
are the same thing, and results from to many beekeepers with PHd's on the
public payroll which gives you DR disease, not to be confused with AID's
which happens when you have too many bee cops on the public payroll and you
get the Apiary Inspectors Disease.
 
>To TREAT AND REPLACE queens from each colony while (before) it's collapsing.
>To multiply the colonies which are resistant and are maintained WITHOUT
>treating during more than 4 or 5 years.
 
>I said: a new way of seeing the bee-keeping!
 
I believe you are on the right track, Good Luck!
 
ttul, the OLd Drone
http://beenet.com
 
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