Hi Nick Re disinfecting honey: I was about to point out the letter in March ABJ, p 159 which explained the measures being taken in South Africa, where (because of the Cape Bee control program) they are concerned about importing diseases in honey. The letter indicated they are requiring irradiation (gamma I suppose) of all honey, pollen and beeswax. I looked for any info on EFB destroying conditions (temp etc) there's nothing in Morse's Pest Pred and Diseases, and Bailey's Honey Bee Pathology,p 92 says (Pankiw et al 1970) gamma irradiation up to 0.8 M rad is ineffective against M. pluton. (maybe they use more in S.A ?) Formaldehyde or acetic acid kills it on comb, but that's no use for honey. Re. how serious it might be in New Zealand, indeed we haven't noticed (or measured) any greater incidence in New Zealand derived colonies in B.C., but there is the "blueberry" factor. The blueberry growing area of B.C., peaty acid soil and so on, has a remarkably higher occurance of EFB (10 % not unusual, and sometimes all colonies in a yard, when oxtetracycline is not regularly applied). The same high incidence is recorded in the U.S (New Jersey, I think). Dr Shimanuki and Herbert ? did some work on this, there is a paper a few years back in ABJ. I think there was some improvement from lactic acid added to pollen patties. In any case, if you had large ares that similarly predisposed colonies to EFB, it could be very serious in a country that didn't allow oxytetracycline prophylaxis. How risky is the importation of consumer jars of honey (treated or otherwise)? that's another question. Good luck Kerry Clark, Apiculture Specialist B.C. Ministry of Agriculture 1201 103 Ave Dawson Creek B.C. V1G 4J2 CANADA Tel (604) 784-2225 fax (604) 784-2299 INTERNET [log in to unmask]