>“IMHO, far more sampling needs to be done to see just how long the virus
has been in the US, how widespread it is, whether it was spread much through
the use of priming queen cells with royal jelly, or by Aussie imports, or
indirectly from Canada.”  Randy Oliver

Big waste of beekeeping research funds! New virus are found all the time.
The only issue is if there is any effect on honey bees when varrroa is under
control in the beekeepers hives. If not then a non issue with many
commercial beekeepers.

The only answer to PMS is to control varroa in your hives. Or as the
researcher said to  buy queens from Isreal. I like option one best.

 Of course if it is proved that IAPV kills the hive without varroa present
then we need to take a closer look at the situation ( and possibly consider
option one above) but without varroa issues virus problems have always been
a very minor issue with commercial beekeepers. If Bailey could have shown
virus  was a big threat to commercial beekeeping his research would have
been put on a front burner years ago instead of a beekeeping back burner. In
fact the two best virus researchers in the world in my opinion (following
the Bailey research ) in the U.K. Brenda Ball and Norman Carrick were let go
last year and the research stopped.

Until the last two decades of mite issues and seeing PMS symptoms (in high
varroa load colonies )in the U.S.  the virus work of Bailey and others has
been of only minor interest. Until we have further research  and proof IAPV
has *any* connection to the *so called* CCD loss last fall then only of
minor interest except for the virus researchers wanting research funding.

 My own opinion (and of many others) points to systemic pesticides as last
falls problem. The recent earth shaking minor discovery (our opinion) has
not changed our position.

bob


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