Many years ago a, then, leading Dorset beekeeper, George Vickery, 

illegally experimented by using the wax from a colony with AFB to make 

foundation which he used in a colony that he very carefully monitored.  

The new colony showed no signs of AFB.  His conclusion was that the wax 

coating prevented the spores from 'germinating'.



I wrote 'illegally' because, here in the UK, the entire contents of a 

hive with AFB, including the bees, have to be burnt and buried by the 

Bee Inspector.  That's why, nowadays, the incidence of AFB has been 

reduced to less than 1%.  Beekeepers who are members of a BKA can 

reclaim the cost of the hive contents from Bee Disease Insurance, an 

organisation set up and run by beekeepers for beekeepers.



EFB used to be treated the same way but about 15 years ago the 

regulations were relaxed and, since then, there has been an upsurge in 

EFB.



Chris

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