> It taught me a lesson not to buy or except frames from anyone...
Perhaps being overcautious, Waldemar.  In my area of Northern Calif, bees 
become available for sale about April 1-15.  Our main honeyflow begins May 
15, and is over by the end of June.  Packages don't cut it!

I sell nucs for a living.  I guarantee my nucs against AFB for 30 days, and 
make a point of not treating them with antibiotic prior.  I burn AFB 
ruthlessley.  I rarely need to replace a nuc due to disease of any sort.

AFB spores are everywhere--unless you're isolated from all other beekeepers 
and ferals.  Deal with it!  Keep your bees well nourished, and use hygienic 
queens.

We Calif beeks put our bees into almonds near out of staters who bring in 
pallets with every fourth colony a deadout waiting to be robbed.  I'm 
reading a new book on controlling AFB in New Zealand, where antibiotics are 
illegal.  Much lower incidence rate than we have here.  Unfortunately, I 
can't imagine our industry ever going for it.

Randy Oliver

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