Fumagilian, many commercial folks out there use it? What are your thoughts on the product, positive or negitive?
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Fumagilian, many commercial folks out there use it? What are your thoughts on the product, positive or negitive?
Yes, still using Fumagilan, but feeding thymol crystals in all my syrup
We have always used it as a preventative measure spring and fall.
it is expensive though so this spring i decided not to use it.
we had a test done in June and there were zero spores of either kind of nosema, but we only took samples from one yard.(it was FDA funded study so it was free)
even though still putting it in the syrup this fall.
Marla Spivak said we should all stop using it and let the bee's work it out just like tracheal mites.
there is something wrong with the bee's right now but i think its a bad year for varroa
We have a new additive in our sub that target's the gut pathogens like nosema, it builds the good xyz in the mid gut of the bee. I was just wondering how many folks still fed fumagilian.
My feeling is that overwintered bees in northern climes are more susceptible to Nosema than are bees in warmer climes. I used Fumidil for a couple years and really saw that the numbers went down dramatically.........in my bank account. Honestly we had lower readings in our bees without treatment than we had when we were treating. Our recent tests were 6 of 8 samples were negative and two very low positives and thats with no treatments of any kind. Just one guys opinion in one set of circumstances.
Keith,
Here's a product made by CONKLIN that's called FASTRACK.
It might bear looking at.
Fumagilian is much like Tiger repealant in Wisconsin.
Some times it is hard to see an effect, but if it is needed, worth the cost. The trick is knowing WHEN it is needed.
Crazy Roland
from Bee L
.) ...it is interesting to note what Zachary Huang's lab discovered
(ABJ abstract #14) about feeding fumagillin to honey bees to control
Nosema ceranae. In their studies, they found that the antibiotic impacts
both the parasite and the protein makeup of the honey bee intestinal
tract. In fact, as the level of fumagillin decreases in the bees over
time, it reaches a low level which actually stimulates spore production
of N. ceranae. A similar effect is seen with N. apis, but it is not
nearly so pronounced._It could be that the low levels of fumagillin may
be suppressing the honey bee immune system. The use of fumagillin as a
last resort cancer treatment in mammals severely impairs their immune
system
Not to detract from the direct effects to bees, but I'm curious if there have been studies of the quality of the honey produced. Like exposure to fungicides, wouldn't an antibiotic result in a lower flora (microbe/enzyme) honey, via reducing the flora in the honey stomach?Quote:
Originally Posted by irwin harlton
> Honestly we had lower readings in our bees without treatment than we had when we were treating.
That would be consistent with the most recent research which shows that it kills off the bacteria that make a biofilm that protect their gut from Nosema...
> I'm curious if there have been studies of the quality of the honey produced. Like exposure to fungicides, wouldn't an antibiotic result in a lower flora (microbe/enzyme) honey, via reducing the flora in the honey stomach?
I don't know about the quality of the honey, but it does disrupt the flora in their stomach and make them MORE susceptible to Nosema as well as other diseases.
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%...l.pone.0033188
But really worries me is that no one seems to care that it causes birth defects in mammals and has been outlawed in most civilized countries of the world because of that.
it's now late January 13Quote:
Originally Posted by benstung
and?
I've been told that the concentrations of active ingredients vary (significantly) in Fumagillin, leading to a slightly over-dose application recommendation; to avoid under-dosing and thus developing resistance. I suppose the answer is posted here somewhere, but can anyone confirm this?
I put the lemongrass product from Mann lake in all my syrup and sub. It's real spendy but ever since I started using it... never had nosema problems. It sure was a killer before.
fumagillian is one of those treatments I hate using the most
I don't use it.
I looked a fellow beekeepers bees two weeks ago and he had some bad nosema problems. He drenched them with fumagilian last fall. He looked at my bees and said all he did was waste a lot of money.
I used it for a couple of years (during the great Nosema Ceranae) scare. I quit about 3 years ago. The first fall after I got results from testing the state of SD did which showed my levels at or near 0, I called and talked to Bob Reiners our state inspector to find out what he was generally seeing around the state. the first thing he asked me was "what are you doing to get numbers that low?". I said ummmmmm nothing Bob. He told me there were lots of high readings around the state and assumed I must be doing something different. I just said I dunno, I don't have a clue. Haven't used since nor have I gotten any high readings. My conclusion is when I was using Fumidil that the only count that it seemed to affect was my bank account.
I used it also during the big scare. after spending thousands of dollars to treat all my hives I just went without it and they all look great.
Prebiotitics, probiotics, and competitive inhibition of pathogens.. Who woulda thunk after all these years? Glad to see the subject has gone full circle.Quote:
Originally Posted by Keith Jarrett
In some circles one could be vilified for even suggesting not using fumagilin. This is a material that has been around a long time and is a leftover from a time when we thought Nosema was a protozoa and not a microsporidian. It seems silly to use the wrong material for the wrong critter. Somebody is making big bank on it.
So I have read down the answers to this thread and have one comment:
No wonder our national "winter losses" are where they are.
WOW!!!
We use Fumigillian as directed in spring and fall.
When your "winter losses" break our record, ( 2.6% in 2010) we may try not using it.
This year: < 6% .
Do you suppose we could have done better if we had not used Fumigillian?
How did you do this winter?