I'll try to respond to several issues.
 
1) Re: Deadly bacteria in WA.   Either Matt Shepherd from Xerces  Society got 
it wrong, or some reporter did.  
 
Some WA bee operations have lost large numbers of colonies.  We  sampled some 
in Jan, Steve Shepherd is currently shadowing some.  Nothing  particularly 
new - no new bacteria that I know of, but, Nosema is present, and  bee losses 
running to 50% of colonies.
 
2) Its an open question of whether N. apis can be found in the U.S.  anymore, 
or whether N. ceranae has partially or totally replaced it.  Same  treatment 
for both -- but N. ceranae seems to be much harder to control.
 
3) It takes another step to positively identify N. ceranae - our MSU  
colleague can do this.  I think we still have both species of  Nosema -  I suspect a 
problem with the primers being used, since labs  in other countries have been 
getting somewhat different results with respect to  presence or absence of N. 
apis, and we still see spotting on hives in the  spring.  (If anyone has a 
particularly bad set of hives with heavy, fresh  spotting, please contact me, I'd 
like to get bee samples to test for N.  apis.)
 
4) The Spanish documented a shift from N. apis to N. ceranae, followed the  
change over some years.
 
5) To understand how N. ceranae is affecting U.S. bees, its important to  
know which fungus we are dealing with, rather than just assume its N.  ceranae.  
That's a research question that would be assisted by confirmation  from the 
industry.  
 
6) There is a slight physical difference between the spores of apis  and  
ceranae, but I doubt that the average person can accurately make that  call.
 
7)  Missouri is one of the regions that still has a tracheal presence  - its 
not typical of all areas of the U.S. - sorry Bob.
 
Jerry



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