> I have  warned on BEE=L for
Bob, that's really helpful, thanks.


> I have  warned on BEE=L for along time that EFB can easily be mistaken for
> PMS. Of course when you control varroa you do not see PMS. The test kit
> Dadant sells is the easy way to be sure what you are looking at.

The test kit available here apparently did not work in the hands of those trying it, and that is part of the problem.  They were falsely reassured and so continued in their belief that this was 'just' PMS with failing Varroa treatment.  I haven't checked this myself, but I'm told that the instructions that come with the kit are not sufficient to get it to work properly.  Do you think that kit marketed by Dadant is reliable?

> Some
> U.S. beeks did as those in Scotland and thought the EFB was PMS. Mainly
> because they had maybe never seen EFB before due to always treating with
> terramycin

Here terramycin is not used other than by our bee inspectors, but EFB was unfamiliar because outbreaks are supposed to be exceedingly rare here.  Maybe we were wrong on that.  One thing is clear, the classic descriptions of EFB only apply to advanced stages of the disease.  If you want to find the early stages you have to look very hard indeed, and under the slightly odd-looking cappings can be the only way when the bees are cleaning up the problems in open brood.  You can see pictures here.

http://www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk/services/documents/EFB%20Outbreak%2017%20July.pdf

all the best

Gavin


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