C Hooper wrote:

>  thus the number and
> frequency of C. botulinum spores in honey could possibly be diminished
> by increasing hygienic level in honey production.

How?

Maybe put out welcome mats at the colony entrance where the bees can wipe their feet. Bad enough 
with my having to wipe their noses when they come down with a virus, now I will have to change the 
mats. Beekeeping is really becoming labor intensive.

I really do not like "could" hanging all alone like that. I "could" fly if....

Plus, it is not just honey that has a problem with botulism spores. You should not feed an infant 
any home made foods for the first year until their digestive systems can handle botulism spores, 
which are just about everywhere.

I think I am getting a bit grumpy about all the wonders that come from bee products via the 
apitherapy links. There are many good, proved uses of the healing qualities of honey and other bee 
products, but many of the recent studies are a bit of a stretch. Many things work in a petri dish 
but few make it into workable applications. I can kill cancer every time in a petri dish with 
liberal applications of alcohol, but all it does is kill brain cells and destroy your liver when 
ingested. Honey as an antioxidant is great, but you would go into diabetic shock to get the benefits.

Bill Truesdell (grump)
Bath, Maine

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