Interesting article
http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/09/29/swedish-researchers-develop-medicine-to-protect-bees-from-deadly-diseases/?intcmp=latestnews (http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/09/29/swedish-researchers-develop-medicine-to-protect-bees-from-deadly-diseases/?intcmp=latestnews)
The Swedish researchers have been writing on this subject since 2005.
A recent publicly downloadable pdf is
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0033188 (http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0033188)
This ties into the push/pull over hive biota and treatments. I think there are valid observations on both sides of the debate, but way too much posturing.
It's what lives in the gut of the bees if you don't use antibiotics...
Reminds me of when I worked on a farm years ago.Sometimes when you had a bovime that may have been over treated with antibiotics,we would get some rumin from a healthy animal and give it to the ill one . It gave a boost to the digestive tract.
Quote from: buzzbee on September 30, 2013, 07:48:19 AM
Reminds me of when I worked on a farm years ago.Sometimes when you had a bovime that may have been over treated with antibiotics,we would get some rumin from a healthy animal and give it to the ill one . It gave a boost to the digestive tract.
I have done that with goats.....and even still have all my fingers. :-D
They now market probiotics in a "calking gun" that does much the same. Bitten fingers is a good motivation for invention.
Not sure the probiotics in the tube would be close enough to what the bees use to be helpful or not.....but it is a thought.
Not just farm animals:
http://blogs.plos.org/publichealth/2013/05/29/why-diy-fecal-transplants-are-a-thing-and-the-fda-is-only-part-of-the-reason/ (http://blogs.plos.org/publichealth/2013/05/29/why-diy-fecal-transplants-are-a-thing-and-the-fda-is-only-part-of-the-reason/)
Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, "Eat sh-- and Bark at the Moon".
:imsorry:
Jim
Young foals often ingest momma's poop to gain those needed probiotics.
Make one wonder if momma's pre-chewing food for babes also added the needed bacteria,
As I feel we/I may be going way OT, is there any reason that offering a sweetened version on probiotics would be a problem with the bees?
On the other hand, in livestock country they already frequent cow poop piles and salt licks.