[wildbranch2007]

there were a couple of thread's post asking about getting antibiotics, below is part of a post from a club I get emails from:

part of an email from another club, On Aug 17, 2020, at 7:31 PM, Chris Cripps <[email protected]> wrote:

There has been an issue with finding veterinarians in NY willing to visit the bees. We are having trouble getting hives inspected by veterinarians in other states also.Currently, due to COVID19, the FDA has rescinded enforcement of rules requiring the veterinarian to visit the hives to make a VCPR. I think this can be done over the telephone. I have written one VFD for someone in Binghamton at the request of the state inspectors and I did not go visit them. They were looking for antibiotics for control of AFB due to a large AFB infection in their neighborhood, so no clinical disease in their hives anyways. I had another person call, but they were out of state, and I did not have a license for that state, but did line them up with a veterinarian within a few hours of their apiary.Hope that helps,Chris📷Christopher J Cripps, DVM

 

[clyderoad]

Thanks for the info wild. Makes good sense IMO, and a step in the right direction. Maybe Vets will be able to write VFD's utilizing a positive test kit result in the future.

From the quoted post: "There has been an issue with finding veterinarians in NY willing to visit the bees."

Finding Veterinarians willing to get involved with bees in any capacity at all is/has been an issue that existed long before the current COVID situation, really for forever as far as I'm concerned.
Years ago we never even thought to contact a vet concerning our bees- for any reason. Another beekeeper yes, a vet no.
In practice it turns out that contrary to current thinking honey bees just ain't your typical livestock.
Who'd a thunk it?

 

[username00101]

This will benefit small scale beekeepers who couldn't afford to hire a Vet to take a day trip to their apiary.

Do we have an official announcement from the FDA?

 

[wildbranch2007]

This will benefit small scale beekeepers who couldn't afford to hire a Vet to take a day trip to their apiary.

Do we have an official announcement from the FDA?

we don't have an official announcement from anyone, But Cris is a vet and owns better bee and did set up a list of vets that are available, try your state inspectors, you would think that the state govt's might have sent out the word, I can see it not being sent out in NY, because the rule here is to burn afb, but might be nice to treat efb. the fda has a web site, you can try there, hope you have better luck than I have, last time I asked took 1 1/2 years of beating my head against a wall. :doh: let us know what you find out.