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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Peter Loring Borst <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sun, 25 Oct 2015 20:31:49 -0400
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> Was the specific statement above about the "treatment-free crowd" a fair summary of her actual words, or a personal view? 

Yes, it was a fair summary, not my personal interpretation. I have a copy of the slides she used and they include the words:

Herd Immunity For Bees

If only some colonies are treated for Varroa… ….varroaand viruses spread
If most get treated… … spreading is contained

Beekeepers need new ways to control Varroa
The mites have gained the upper hand

* * *

She talked a lot about nutrition, as did I. In the video recorded in March she stated much the same thing as this October:

National surveys made since the initial appearance of CCD in 2006 and 2007 have now
established that actually, a very small proportion of colonies that are dying are dying
from those particular symptoms.

It happens – but the majority of colonies are dying for many, many reasons. From the
mites, from bad nutrition, from not enough honey, from pesticides. ... Surprisingly few
are being killed only by pesticides, really, but from diseases and pests and all of the
interactions that seem to be happening.

Nutrition is at the base of everything.
So when bees have good nutrition, they’re actually able to detoxify pesticides. ... Their
immune systems are bolstered ... and they can fight off diseases.

Because of the bee die-offs that we’re seeing, many researchers are saying, let’s give
them things that are more aligned with what bees eat naturally.

Pesticides aren’t going away, that’s just reality. But we can have both pesticides and
pollinators, and we’re going to have both. We can do this. I know we can.

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