Bob writes:
> The possible hypothesis that pesticides are weakening the bees immune system has never been fully discounted.

Bob, the only hypotheses that have been "discounted", to my knowledge, are cell phones and alien abduction. Everything else is still on the table. 

The issue is not *possible* but verifiable. In my opinion, a very *plausible* hypothesis is that the buildup of miticides in hives over the past couple of decades has weakened the honey bee colonies. Add to that the continual evolution of viruses, and I don't see how it could be otherwise.

However, without having mite free colonies to compare with, it is hard to say how bad off US bees are. Maybe that's just another reason to keep those Australian bees coming. They may be much healthier than ours, rather than the source of some unknown problem. 

PLB

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