I think Tim and Waldemar's thoughts are about right. There is little chance of spreading AFB by open feeding. While I was a NYS Inspector we were told of a project at Penn State where they tried to inoculate brood with AFB with a hive tool. They apparently went so far as to coat the end of the hive tool with diseased brood and then scrape the result onto brood of the right age. They could not infect a single larvae! Hands, hive tools and gloves and unlikely infection sources as are bee bodies. On the other hand, if one does not treat hive prophylacticly AND has the odd hive or frame of AFB every year or so, the likely source is an infected hive in the area. Moreover, it is possible the bees/larvae in that hive are more or less immune to AFB. In such a case it is possible that extensive robbing as part of or after the feeding could spread the AFB more than it otherwise would. Otherwise, I don't think that open feeding is at all likely to spread disease. -- Lloyd Spear Owner Ross Rounds, Inc. Manufacture of equipment for round comb honey sections, Sundance Pollen Traps, and producer of Sundance custom labels. Contact your dealer or www.RossRounds.com -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info ---