There's not enough information in the articles in either case for me to be
concerned about CCD at this stage - fingers crossed. 'Hive deaths' doesn't
equal CCD by default, I don't see mention of specific characteristics of CCD,
and there are some particular factors here this year that might make the year
atypical without CCD.
1 We've had varroa for ten years in the North Island, but this is the first
year it will really have been a factor in the South Island, ie, Canterbury.
2 Ruakura (if memory serves) Research Station has reported resistance to
Apistan this summer just past. If they're finding it there, where no doubt
pesticides are carefully handled and rotated, then I expect resistance to be
much more prevalent elsewhere with less rigorous handling, but less likely to be
identified.
3 We've just had a strong La Nina spring and summer, which has seen a change
from our more usual El Nino-tending pattern. In February here in Hawke's Bay (a
couple of hundred km south of Bay of Plenty) we had five times the annual
average rainfall. From September right through to now it has been very wet.
Honey crops are down dramatically. Spring build up (starting September 1) was
hampered by rain and hives went into the November dearth with low supplies if
they were not fed. I myself lost splits through October that I should not have
because I was not attentive enough to their feed situation. Summer
(December-Mar) was too wet by far, and here in HB we have just had a week long
major rain event that saw coastal areas receive nearly their annual average
rainfall over two days - a third of pastures have been lost on many farms due to
slips and flooding.. In short, it ain't a typical year. The west coast I
believe has been less affected by the La Nina and certainly didn't get this last
weather bomb, but the sites mentioned in the articles are both East Coast.
4 The hive loss survey mentioned being carried out by the NBA is new. I don't
recall that it asks about historical losses, just this season. While I agree
the work needs to be done, drawing too many conclusions of a 'sudden' change in
hive deaths is a bit iffy when there is no hard history to compare to.
NB - the hive losses I mentioned above I did not submit to the NBA survey, as I
know why they were lost and I don't believe they are not relevant to the
survey. But the survey I believe does ask about ALL hive losses.
4 There is currently a petition circulating to get government to have ERMA
(Environmental Resource Management Agency) re-evaluate the neonicotinoids.
While I support this and hope it will happen, the timing of this article is of
course convenient to raising public awareness of the issue.
5 If it walked like a duck and quacked like a duck, I'd be happy to call it a
duck - right now all I would say is 'probably a bird of some sort'. 'Hive
losses' or 'deaths' doesn't give me any indication of CCD. I understand
identification of CCD is not actually by the finding of a dead hive, but by
finding of a hive with a live queen and a very small number of young bees with a
complete lack of foragers. If that is what is being found it would be nice if
Daniel would state that, so we can have a clearer basis to work from (and maybe
he has and mass media coverage has bared it down to basics, but if so it would
be nice if we NBA members could have received a direct communication to
clarify)..
regards
Deanna Corbett
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