Sid Pullinger wrote to ask about the presence and experience in New
Zealand where "Kashmir bee virus" has been found.
 
I am pleased to provide some info, as this bogey has been surfacing
for a period of time to be used against NZ bees...
 
Our industry has had a long history of having to struggle for market
access of all sorts, when really the circumstances don't seem to
support the problems we've had.
 
Kashmir bee virus could only be described as one of the *minor*
interests of beekeeping.  In practical terms, it can't even be called
a problem - it isn't 'knowable' to a normal beekeeper.  It has no
symptoms, no loss of bees, no real effect.  It is one of the zillion
and one virii (like that word?) that can be found.  Kind of like gum
tree species in Australia (A: "How many species of gum trees?" A:"As
many as there are botanists who have ever wanted to have a species
named after them.")
 
Dr Denis Anderson of CSIRO has stated on a number of occasions that
Kashmir bee virus has been found in *every* population of honeybees
where it has been looked for by the accepted methodology.  Read that
sentence again.  It seems highly likely that KBV is one of those
endemic virii (there: two good words in a row...) that are present in
all honeybees, and cause no practical or scientific problems at
all.
 
That is not to say there isn't some credence to the virus/mite
combination problems, particularly as described in the US over the
last few years.  But there is *absolutely no evidence* that KMB,
simply because it is a virus, has any such effect (affect? Never have
gotten those two right).
 
And while on the subject of KBV, once the US *did* look for KBV using
the appropriate lab tests, they found it.  But lo, and behold, it was
clear from the DNA involved that it had *not been introduced from
NZ*.  That is, the KBV strain in the US did not originate from NZ.
Further evidence that KBV is just one of those creatures that
accompany bees wherever and whenever they move...
 
Let's call a spade a spade: the resistence to NZ bees is political
and obstructive in nature.  It is not founded in science, it is based
in market protectionism.
 
NZ bees have probably been investigated as intensively for
pests/diseases as any equivalent population.  Our industry paid for a
pathologist (Dr Denis Anderson, mentioned above) for two or three
(can't remember) years to conduct a serious survey of what we have
here, etc. And it is just unfortunate (?) that over the last 50
years, we have had some very capable and keen apicultural scientists -
 Dr Trevor Palmer-Jones, Dr Pat Clinch, Dr Mark Goodwin and many
others - who have exhaustively examined and surveyed our bees.  The
result is that they *did* find a few things that haven't been found
in other places in the world - and most of them can't be found here
any more either (!).  They just really don't count in terms of 'real
problems', but are being used against us when we try for market
access...
 
Sorry to rave on, but I don't think our industry has (will?) feel the
benefits of globalisation and free market economy before we lose,
ultimately, what can/should be an excellent advantage - our relative
freedom from the pests/diseases of overseas.
 
 
 
 
  (\      Nick Wallingford
 {|||8-   [log in to unmask]
  (/      NZ Beekeeping http://www.beekeeping.co.nz
 
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