I had an interesting conversation with Ormond Aebi in Santa Cruz this weekend
and was surprised to hear that the beekeepers contacting him throughout
the past twelve months have reported 100% losses, most contributed to varroa.
Is there any information regarding the severity of varroa in relation to
climate? (in addition to the obvious cold weather thread).
   After a two day hike in Nisene Marks, Rio Del Mar and Boulder Creek
(all areas familiar to me re; feral bees) I was shocked to see a complete
absence of honeybees on such a warm still day. The Eucalyptus and floral
flow is intense. At one spot I shook a small branch of low hanging
Eucalyptus and the nectar splashed onto the leaves. The flow is on the
weather was perfect for flying and there was nothing but a few sweat bees and
some Bombus moving about.
   Ormond requested me to post a couple of observations of his in order
to get a few responses ie; collaboration or correction to his views.
One is that the drones seem to carry the mites from one hive to another.
Another is that the varroa are capable of entering bees of all ages <or>
that they enter young brood and then mature killing the bee later in life.
Also, do the mites thrive after the local bee population has been decimated?
Do they simply die off with no bees to host them? He is currently using
Apistan strips on his last _two_ hives. I was really saddened to hear of
all of Ormonds losses. He and his father are rather revered for their
beekeeping lore and knowledge as evidenced by their books on beekeeping
and their local support to all the beekeepers in Santa Cruz and
surrounding counties. He estimated that there were less than a dozen kept
hives in the county. One possibilty to the extreme conditions in Santa Cruz,
which I posed to him is that detection and treatment came to late. He
agreed with this somewhat but argued that he was dilligent in treatment
and he has suffered badly. I am going back next week to confirm the
severity of bee loss more "scientifically" if anyone can mail me any
suggestions as to why they have been hit so hard please do.
 
Thanks
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             : Robert   Box 721 Healdsburg CA 95448 :
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