>> The conventional thinking seems to get lots of money, but keeps
>> coming up empty.
>
> Can't agree with that assessment, Allen.  I don't know of anyone
> working on prions, but "conventional" investigation has hardly come
> up "empty."

Name something new that has come out of all this.

Looks to me to be the same old same old. Run out the clock and the
problem goes away by itself.

Jerry B seems to be the only one to come up with anything new and he is
given little credence by the herd.

> As far as I see, "conventional" suspects can explain most colony
> losses

That is no answer.  They were charged and with and financed to find the
cause of extraordinary and epidemic colony losses.  AFAIK, they did not
and attribute them, despite the extraordinary symptoms to the usual
suspects.

> (I'm in agreement with Bob here).

My question is: "Is Bob in agreement with you?"

What I notice is a strong tenancy to groupthink with a cold shoulder for
anyone who thinks outside the box.

Can anyone even intelligently address the question of possible prion
involvement?

Although unlikely, I can imagine a scenario where a BSE-like disease
could go undetected in the 'bee herd' for a long time.

Given the differences between bees and cattle, their life cycle and
habits, one would not expect the communication and manifestation to be
identical, but given that feeding serum from the tissue of others of the
same species causes symptoms one should not rule it out without
investigation.

You discovered something that should have brought everyone up short and
stimulated intense and immediate investigation.

Has it?

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