> We have found levels of fungicides in incoming pollen that exceed 20,000
>> parts per billion (PPB). Some samples of incoming pollen contained 3-4
>> different types of fungicides.

Most beekeepers doing pollinatation are used to seeing the bees hit with
fungicides while on most crops.
After years of seeing the bees hit with a concoction of three fungicides at
up to several day intervals I have seen no effects. My friends report the
same.

 >> because they often are sprayed while the crop being pollinated by bees
is
>> in bloom. In addition to fungicides, antibiotics such as streptomycin are
>> registered for use on apple and pear for fireblight and are sprayed
>> *during bloom*.

The above has always been sprayed while bees are in apples. One reason is
the fungicide only protects the exposed bloom. As the bud opens another
spray is needed. Steptomycin spraying on bloom to my knowledge does not
effect bees.

 For the most part most beekeepers are uninformed. National meetings the
beekeepers are possibly the most informed. I was asked to do a program on
nosema ceranae in another state last year. About a 100 beekeepers and only a
handful had heard even the word nosema ceranae.

I personally take all the hype about if a problem or not with nosema ceranae
with a grain of salt. Most articles never even get into spore counts.

it is simply a hypothesis that nosema ceranae is a problem or not


The bottom line with the CCD investigation stopped at the same problem:
Which of the nosema ceranae, KBV or in some cases the Israel virus killed
the hive . In which combination. How much of effect did the mites have?
insecticides? contaminated comb? beekeeper error? the weather?
transportation across country on trucks? stress/? PPB?

many of us shook our heads as confused researchers tried to explain CCD when
they really did not have a clue as to what exactly they were seeing. Of
course at the conventions each area of the *found* problems said their area
of expertise was needed to solve the mystery.

All agreed if given millions of dollars the source of CCD would be found!

Those on BEE-L would you care to share what you tell people when they ask
what the researchers found?

Most say the CCD team narrowed the filed to half a dozen possible causes (in
no particular order!)

Disappearing disease and CCD will most likely go down in beekeeping history
as a big unknown.
comments?

Enough joking about disappearing disease or CCD and on to serious issues:

My advice to those in areas of soybean spraying and areas in which the bees
are bringing in huge amounts of corn pollen for next spring I suggest to
pull all supers and feed a pollen supplement and syrup to try and keep the
bees home plus give good stores for spring. move into ranching areas if
possible,

What we are doing!

I have had many calls from central Texas which is in the middle of one of
the worst droughts on record. Hives are in poor shape. Forget a honey crop
and start taking care of the hives! Get those stacked supers off and get
busy!

My advice and what my friends in the Texas drought have been doing for weeks
now! What are Texas beeks in the drought area on BEE-L seeing? Surely a
couple are on BEE-L?

bob

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