I found this study interesting, since the findings are very different that what I observe and measure in Northern Calif. Here, I NEVER find high nosema prevalence or spore counts in strong colonies. N ceranae is most prevalent in midwinter into early spring, and disappears over summer. I do not find N ceranae to be a predictor of colony performance, but in poor-performing or collapsing colonies, N ceranae is very often present, often at high levels. -- Randy Oliver Grass Valley, CA www.ScientificBeekeeping.com *********************************************** The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html