From: RSBrenchley@aol.com
Date: Thu, 6 Sep 2001 06:28:30 EDT
To: BiologicalBeekeeping@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: AFB and Hygienic Behaviour

> Suppose I have a colony with has this hygienic trait , what happens
> downstream when one of the supercedures plays hanky panky with a BAAAD
> drone?

Given that hygienic behaviour apparently depends on two recessive genes,
you're bound to get some non-hygienic colonies. But as far as I'm concerned,
anything which gives me some defence against AFB is worthwhile, especially if
it doesn't involve chemicals. We don't have a lot of it here in the UK, but
there were cases about 15 miles away last year, and the only legal treatment
here is burning. It's worth a bit of trouble to minimise the risk of having
to take that road. Over here it appears to be epidemic rather than endemic,
and there is apparently some anecdotal evidence to link outbreaks to infected
honey. The really important thing is to keep it that way, which is why I
wouldn't support chemical treatment. Maybe we should ban honey imports from
countries that use prophylactics.

Regards,

Robert Brenchley,
Birmingham, UK.