> > hence spread the disease around. > I wonder, is tetracycline used in Auz? Seems to me that NZ frowns on it. "The only method of treatment permitted in nearly all states of Australia is destruction by fire of infected bees and combs under the supervision of an apiary inspector. Hive components and empty combs may be saved and sterilised using cobalt 60 gamma irradiation....." source as below > However, one AFB spore cannot cause the disease, I understand. It takes Why not?? Surely, if a single spore is fed to a single larva, and multiplies inside the larva as bacteria is wont to do ("Within about 24 hours, the spore germinates in the gut of the larva, giving rise to rod shaped `vegetative' organisms. These invade the haemolymph and body tissues, where they grow and multiply, RAPIDLY reaching very large numbers just before the larva begins pupation. The infected larva usually dies at the propupal stage, and EACH vegetative rod forms a minute oval spore." Quoted from "Beekeeping: Diseases of bees" By Russel Goodman) SO if I understand that paragraph right, one spore is all it takes to spread the disease > In the case where periodic medication occurs during dearth periods, I am > sure there is zero risk. You could be right, but as mentioned above, there are no permissable treatments available in australia......although, one (complete moron) beekeeper I know, (are there any Aussie Apiary inspectors reading this??) claims to have "controlled" AFB using terramyacin. > Comments? Just one more, from the same sourse as the other two...."The incidence of AFB in most states of Australia, where destruction is the only permitted treatment, is much lower than in countries where drug treatment is generally used. For example, 5% incidence of the disease is considered acceptable in many parts of the Uited States, compared with a normal incidence of less than 1% in victoria" (quoted earlier as 0.75%) It may be that the figures shown here are inacurate, but I would suspect that they are reasonable well researched. Maybe the information above will help people understand why I am so worried about AFB....that and the fact that my father lost his 30 hives to it 8 years ago. Adrian.