> Aaron's post shows that he considers himself cautious and conservative in
> treating his bees with medication etc, yet during the year he administers 3
> gallons of sugar syrup, 2 doses of fumidil, 2 doses of Apistan and 2
> treatments of terramycin.  This suggests to me that either Aaron (this is not
> a personal attack on you Aaron but a matter that has arisen in my mind from
> reading many US posts from different contributors: your post is just the
> catalyst that has initiated this response) is suffering from hypochondria by
> proxy or else he has some very sick bees.

Well Chris, I have stayed out of this discussion as we had it before and it
didn't lead to anything but rather upset response from some of the participating
members on the other side of the pond at the time.

I have the greatest respect for Aaron, Allen and others but I fail to see the
common sense in their arguing for prophylactic medication, even if that arguing
has lost some of it's vigour lately......

Like you I don't use any medication at all (haven't got varroa yet due to a
national plan that divides the country in zones and restrict bee movements
between them) and never see more than 2-3 % winter mortality. I have tested
for nosema a few times, but got very low levels ( if present at all). Once I
saw AFB when visiting a hobby beekeeper in my neighbourhood, but not
in my own bees. I know NO other beekeeper that medicates except for varroa.

To me it seems obvious that the medication blocks the chance to find and
eliminate the bees susceptible to disease, and hence destroy every opportunity
for beekeepers to make a natural selection for resistance. I strongly believe
this is why we don't have the situation here with the disease so often described
by american beekeepers. Maybe the spring sugar feeding plays a part in winter
losses too. As you said it will breed for "hungry" bees. They will produce plenty

of brood early in the season and this might also be a stress factor before they
can fly.

So why don't a management system based on natural selection work there
when it works here? That it works is proven in almost every other place
than America. What makes american beekeepers so happy about paying for
those drugs they really don't need? Or is everyone that use them certain about
the need? I doubt that.

Can it be a difference in attitude? When you pay for the drug you also transfer
a bit of the responsibility to someone else. Hope that the shortcut will work
this
time too. But some things can't bee bought for money.....you have to participate
yourself in the development, take your responsibility in keeping the bees
healthy.

Sure would have liked to hear Andys thoughts about this......

--
Regards

P-O Gustafsson, Sweden
[log in to unmask]  http://www.algonet.se/~beeman/