So the burden of proof is one the one that says that nosema is a
significant factor in the loss of bee colonies and it is up to them to
prove that it is.

As you well know, Pete, it is impossible to "prove" that.  However, we can
attempt to disprove the hypothesis that it does contribute to collapse.  At
this point, I'm seeing suggestive evidence to the contrary.

What I know is this: to feed fumagillin to hives that don't need it is expensive and irresponsible, given the extent of antibiotic resistance and the fact that fumagillin saves lives in humans at present (and may cease to be effective if abused). 

What I have seen is extremely high levels of nosema in hives that are doing perfectly well. Further, as I said, the presence of nosema in weakened hives is not an indication that nosema caused the weakness, but may be an opportunistic infection.

Once again, the burden of proof is on those that say that it is a serious factor, and that fumagillin helps ameliorate the problem. The work done by Brenna appears to contradict this hypothesis and support the opposite one, that this is not a serious problem *in our region*. Your mileage may be different

PLB

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