From: "deelusbybeekeeper" <deelusbybeekeeper@excelonline.com>
Date: Fri, 12 Jan 2001 11:06:02 -0800
To: <BiologicalBeekeeping@egroups.com>
Subject: Re: Natural antibiotic

Hi to all on Biological Beekeeping

John Sewell wrote in reply to Erik's excellent post:

So if I follow the story correctly
http://www.cf.ac.uk/uwc/biosci/staff/index.html
These scientists in Wales have 'discovered' microflora which occurs
naturally in beehives and is an effective antibiotic for the colony. So they
patented it, and Vita are gonna produce it and sell it to us...TO PUT BACK
in the beehive???
:-):-):-)

Reply:

I would suppose that for bees on an artificial system you would need it, if
you have everything thrown out of balance with size and varioius treatments
going on all the time. Thankfully, those of us going back to a natural
system, will have bees with the microflora naturally occurring within our
colonies, so we don't have to spend the money on a product, to put back in,
that technically should already be there.

While it is good that they have been able to identify and do this, it is
frightening that hives are in such imbalance, that something like this could
happen and would have to be done.

Just imagine, we now feed the bees what they can't get for food, with syrups
and artificial pollen, we graft to augment their breeding to our now
demanded specs, we treat for all their ailments, we have cooling fans for
hot summer to put over hives that cannot cool, and heat gagets to keep them
warm in the winter, and now this.

Boy!, a fine example as to why we desperately need to go back to real old
fashioned biological beekeeping field management.Strange how out of balance
thngs have gotten.Why?

Sincerely,

Dee A. Lusby
Tucson, Arizona
USA