>>>>We have not proven a causal relationship between any infectious agent
and CCD;<<<<<

 

What do you want from them, Jim?  Now we know IAPV is there. Sure it's a
small sample. Sure the follow up may not have been excellent. While I thank
you for your tenacity I don't think we should throw the baby out with the
bathtub. I was in on the FL sampling group. We took samples of honey, brood
and comb from: Dead -sick and dying-sick and recovering and recovering
colonies. We mapped these categories as to where in the yard they appeared.
Bees were saved in alcohol or frozen. When you condemn the "sampling" it
casts a pall over the entire sampling process. A lot of hard work went into
the bitter end. I suspect IAPV, like Nosema Ceranae, may have been there all
along. If so, we have advanced our knowledge base. If it's a new addition
there is a lot more work to do. 

     I too feel badly for our friends down-under. We may need their bees for
a reason not mentioned. Their bees may have learned to live with this
pathogen. I understand there are genetic changes that occur in the bees in
response to IAPV.  They may have already done this in AU. 

 

Dick Marron


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