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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Tim Arheit <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 7 Nov 2005 00:23:19 -0500
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At 02:13 PM 11/6/2005, you wrote:
>My question is , how could this drug get into the honey? What were
>the bees foraging on that they would then get the drug into their honey?

An old Mid-Atlantic Apiculture newsletter (
http://maarec.cas.psu.edu/PDFs/Dec2000-87.pdf ) says:
"Discovery in the mid-1940's that sulfa drugs could control European
foulbrood (Melissococcus pluton) disease ushered in a new era. Some
bee inspectors did not initially accept sulfa treatment as valid, but
eventually most beekeepers and inspectors realized the economic value
of protecting colonies with this chemical treatment. It wasn't long
before the practice became widespread, making large-scale commercial
beekeeping viable and profitable. The use of sodium sulfathiazole was
eventually discontinued however because it didn't work against EFB,
and when used for AFB, it left persistent residues in extracted honey."

Based on the above, my only guess (assuming the beekeeper really
didn't use it himself), is that he has some old comb or or perhaps
even some old honey introduced in his hives.  The article doesn't say
exactly when it's use was discontinued, but given some beekeepers
insistence of using old comb, it's possible he has some old
contaminated comb comb.

Any chance he fed his bees cheap Chinese honey being sold for
feed?  Sulphonamides were one of the contaminates found in the honey.

-Tim

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