Hoping not to cause my name to be put in a mud bucket and totally immersed until it is no longer recognized - BUT!

 From much of the press that recently and is presently doing the rounds, there appears to be much surprise at the
devastating consequences of Varroa infestation. Why?

The effects on Honey bee colonies when hosting this mite is well known.
The effects have been seen in many regions, countries over several decades.

Varroa mites forgive very little - if anything.

* As a commercial industry, the owners of the pollinators should have seen the potential crisis coming. A fixed date
being unknown for sure - but definitely coming.

The Almond industry themselves being apparently dependent on the bee colonies should have been aware also. *

If not - something needs radically changing in strategic planning.
If they were, then still again radical change in forward planning I suggest is in order.

Resistance to treatment is nothing new. Varroa are treated, therefore resistance is theoretically inevitable.

Does this crisis suggest that Beekeepers need to associate with other groups that depend on the former to plan for
predicted problems?

To my way of thinking , it does. Surely a "win win" situation.

Cash to deal with required knowledge gaps coming from the strength of joined up association.

I take the present day situation as a dire warning that the ability of beekeepers to remain as an independent entity is
  at an end. The attitude of " Only eccentrics beekeep" attitude is no longer possible for the long term. Even NASA
requires cooperation from other in the modern world.

Taking Varroa as the example, treatments using Formic, Oxalic acids appear to have less of a resistance creating
potential. These may or may not save the day. Probably not, according to many time stretched individuals. Present day
application methods are too time consuming, cost in labour excessive being suggested as reasons for non application of
such treatments .

Therefore, taking that there is little to replace these molecules at the present, it would IMHO have been logical for
the threatened industries to have got together before hand. Creating a cash process that would have supplied the
required finance to get research done at a faster rate - faster than what the Beekeepers them selves could generate. If
this was tried but failed - then the Almond growers have themselves reaped a previewed situation.

If this was not the case - read *----* again.

I am not being smug in writing this mail - the potential threats to my region are the same as the ones reaping havoc in
certain USA regions. In my own small way, I am trying to limit mite damage by being aware of what their status is in my
colonies. I might get hit hard one day, if not from Varroa, then maybe Res.AFB, I don't know, whatever.

What I do know is that I need to be educated, aware of present day threats, more than thoughtful of future situations
that are foreseen - then voice my opinions and try to get things done that help relieve the situation.

As an end note to this, here in Manitoba, Canada, Canola (Rape, Colza) is tres important!
"Round Up Ready" seed is in fashion.
I foresee big potential problems with this product - when they will occur, I do not know. In this particular case, the
influence of the beekeepers is limited. BUT we could suffer from the use of this technology. Canola and Beekeepers
should be investigating the consequences of resistance increasing in targeted plant populations.

And now, back to ...........

Regards,

Peter.
Manitoba, Canada.

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