>How long would the frames from this hive remain infective, if it was CBPV ? Could I reuse the frames from the honey box next year ? Kris, we observe signs of CBPV at times, and sometimes it appears to cause small epidemics in our yards. I've confirmed by PCR and currently have another sample in for confirmation. In general, I strongly suspect CBPV vs insecticide when I observe field signs for three reasons: 1. Although CBPV can exhibit two different sorts field signs (hairless black bees vs overall quivering of bees with high mortality), I often see both signs in an affected colony, and 2. These epidemics often occur during times of the year when one would not expect anyone to be applying an insecticide (during the dormant period of plant growth), and 3. In my county, in which all pesticide applications must be reported to the Ag Commissioner on a monthly basis, I am one of the major pesticide applicators each year, due to my reporting of Apiguard (thymol) and MiteAway (formic acid) applications. Nearly all colonies spontaneously recover, usually quickly. We routinely restock bees onto combs from affected colonies after various periods of "rest," and have not noticed any pattern of subsequent infection. -- Randy Oliver Grass Valley, CA www.ScientificBeekeeping.com *********************************************** The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html