Everyone knows about IPM.  It is the new buzz on how to manage 
pests and diseases.  

The underlying concept is -- basically -- that we are not likely to 
eradicate most pests, and that when the levels are low, the costs of 
fighting them outweight the benefits, plus we risk breeding superpests 
by knocking out the weaker versions and leaving only the strongest to 
carry on.

There are levels of pest presence below which the costs of tolerating 
pests are less than the costs of trying to fight them, so we should 
watch outbreaks and only play "Whack-a-Mole" with them when we see 
that the cost of letting things go on as they are is getting to be more 
than the cost of the bullet it will take to set back the pest's progress.  

Most of our 'solutions' to pests either cost us in cash, in time and effort, 
in collateral damage, or in contamination of our products and damage to 
our bees, so we need to think before we act and only act when we 
have to do so to save our investment and income.

The IPM concepts have achived very good acceptance, except, 
apparently with AFB, where the laws and standard advice require an 
all-or-nothing attitude.  Not only does this defy logic, but it sets up a 
situation where openness and honesty can be counterproductive for 
the beekeeper involved.

Having written a course which included a section on IPM, I have had to 
dig into the concepts and to reflect deeply on them, and I guess they 
have taken over my approach in dealing with all pests, and that 
includes AFB.  

Apparently IPM thinkiing has not propagated throughout the industry 
yet and I was quite surprised to find that quite a few people are 
strongly attached to the idea that the only way to deal with AFB is to 
burn the hive, the contents and the bees (and perhaps the beekeeper 
for good measure).  

What happened, and it gave me a jolt, was that in a meeting, I 
ventured that AFB should no longer be a problem.  Not thnking I was 
being controversial, I ventured the opinion that if people are seeing any 
more than the occasional cell or two of AFB, they have the wrong bees.  
They need to change their stock.  

I further ventured to state that when I saw a few cells in one stock I 
have, I don't worry.  I know that when I go back it will be gone.  One 
the other hand, with another stock, I know there will be a lot more a 
while later and I had better act -- stat.

Well, that got a strong reaction from some of the bee inspectors in the 
crowd.  

"Are you saying that you leave cells of foulbrood in your hives", I was 
asked.  

"Er, well..., yes, I replied", a bit stunned at the tone.  It seemed obvious 
to me that from what I said, that I must do that -- ignore a few cells of 
AFB if I see them.  I do recall where they are though and I do check 
back.

You see, I was a bee inspector a long time back, and have a fairly close 
acquaintance with AFB.  In fact, following Phillips' advice,  I deliberately 
bought scaly equipment and cleaned it up.  It was cheap and often just 
about new.  With proper medicating, after a few years, it was as clean 
as any commercial equipment in the region.

That was back before we had 'resistant bees' available commercially 
from numerous sources and the bees needed an antibiotic backup in 
their cleanup work.  

Of course there are spores even after cleanup, but the bees cover them 
up, coat them with wax and propolis, carry them out, and, moreover the 
spores lose virulence with time.  Besides it takes a lot of virulaent 
spores in the right place at the right instant in time to break down more 
than the occasional cell of good bees, and good bees will get it out the 
door right away before it can cause more grief.

Thus I take it for granted that we can tolerate a bit of AFB if we monitor 
and make sure it is not running away on us.  We have the tools to deal 
with it.  Good bees, drugs occasionally if necessary, and gamma ray 
radiation.

IPM.  It works with other pests, Why not AFB?

             ***********************************************
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