> "I am wondering if the package industry is spreading
> something out there".

This is a common thought amongst beekeepers,  my
response is not directed at one person, just towards
the overall trend of thinking most beekeepers seemed
to have adopted.  

My belief is package bees would be one of the least
likely source for spread of disease.  Remember that a
swarm as would occur naturally, is a ‘starting anew’,
a cleansing of the old.  The time from the package is
made or swarm thrown till the time of egg laying is
sufficient time to cleanse the bees of most things
harmful.

That being said,  I’m not of the belief that the
solution is to point the finger at others to be fixing
the problem or to initiate blame.  Mom always said,
when you point the finger there are 3 fingers pointing
back and this is where the solution lies.  

Protecting your bees by tromping the evil that befalls
them at their doorstop, may solve the problem
temporary.   BUT maintaining good stock solves the
problem permanently, now as well as in future, as they
will have been better prepared for what evil comes
next.  

I have little worry for the beekeeper next door with
sloppy beekeeping practices that potentially harbor
AFB and other diseases, for this is the environment my
bees must live in, and therefore nothing is less
expected than for my bees to cope with it or die.  The
thought of viruses being the cause of this CCD, is
also of no concern to me because viruses are found at
low levels in most colonies anyways, and IMO are
basically secondary level diseases that do harm to the
ill fit and sickly.

Joe Waggle
‘I survived the 70’s’


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