Hello Diotima & All,
We are all confused by CCD. A big problem has been the releases to the news
media.

I think at times CCD has a life of its own and many forget researchers are
supposed to be looking for a solution FOR BEEKEEPERS by this fall to prevent
a repeat of fall 2006.

Right now you have got a meeting coming up of 60 so- called bee experts
which as can be seen from the news releases can not agree on much of
anything!

Also they have not provided advice on what beekeepers are supposed to do
when hives start crashing or what type of management of treatments might be
useful in preventing CCD or turning the problem around if this fall is a
repeat of fall 2006.

In 3 short months the moment of truth will be here in the Midwest.

Myself and other beekeepers have decided on several courses of action to
possibly turn the effects of CCD around.

>though the researcher, DeRisi, is fairly confident it's Nosema.

Nosema has to be considered. Also a problem most beekeepers can deal with if
they choose to spend the money for meds and treat.

>But that means nothing, really, if they succumbed because of a
compromised immune system.

Only healthy bees have immune systems not compromised. Its kind of like
which came first "the chicken or the egg".

Did the many problems the CCD team find cause the compromised immune system
or was the immune system compromised from some problem and the things the
CCD team found then manifest ?

Beekeepers have moved on but many are still trying to figure which came
first.

>, they talk to an actual bee
researcher, Jeffery Pettis, who says that large quantities of N.
ceranis have been found in large quantities in healthy hives.

I have spoke with Jeff Pettis many times and the above does not sound like
his wording. If the bees from healthy hives were found to be infected with
N. ceranaes then the hives would *not* be healthy would they and treatment
would be recommended by Jeff.

Nosema IS SUSPECT in CCD mainly because nosema kills the adult bees in the
last two weeks of life. That would explain the missing foragers. Controlling
nosema is a big deal with a honey producer because the last two weeks of a
foragers life is when they gather the honey crop. Actually I am shocked that
up until the Dec. 15th. report none of the beekeepers reporting CCD had used
fumidil or even had an idea of nosema levels.

Without finding and testing the missing bees then it would be hard to say
what the nosema load had been a few weeks earlier in those CCD die off
hives.

Commercial beekeepers which ignore nosema load in their  apiaries
are asking for problems sooner or later. My guess would have been that most
of the commercial beekeepers with CCD would either have:

1. tested often for nosema and treated when needed ( my method!)

or

2. like many in our area simply treat once a year in fall.

Not watching  nosema load in their bees makes those CCD beekeepers "bee
havers"
in my book. I think George Immire would agree!

Bob


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