>> Research has been carried out by a team of 35 scientists... "We must not ignore the rather sobering conclusion of these surveys that many of the causes of colony death, where known or suspected, were, or should have been avoidable." 

It doesn't really take a panel of scientists to state the obvious.  

Besides just plain making bad decisions, there are many, many reasons that beekeepers have loses that "should have been avoidable".  Illness, staff problems, snowstorms or mud, delays in financing, stress, errors, equipment breakdowns, bad advice, family problems, and more present real problems for a beekeeper.

Of course, for sake of simplicity and avoiding long explanations, and sometimes to get sympathy or financial aid, beekeepers often go with the popular reason at the time.   Everyone knows the truth, but this convention works for everyone.

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