I was surprised that there was disappointingly little information on the 'historically high losses' in the Oregon commercial operation. I would have thought that if these losses were due to queenlessness it would have been identified and would certainly warrant a comment in the paper. Were these losses summer losses - when virus levels are higher - or winter losses when the levels are much lower? Perhaps the title of the 'in prep' paper by Steinhauer (ref 10) "Apiary-level virus complexes rather than specific viruses are associated with increased colony mortality in underperforming beekeeping operations" is a clue that this new virus is not linked - at least not solely linked - to colony loss.

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