> KBV is widespread, and apart from in the scare stories aimed at keeping NZ
> bees out, I have never heard of it being other than a secondary pest. I
> also am not aware of whether there has even been any serious research done
> to ascertain if it is present in Britain. One thing is certain, the anti
> importation lobby will come up with some other disease or pest after this
> one is found here to cite as grounds for banning imports, and so on
> through whatever ailment they can find, however minor. I understand the
> concern of people regarding viruses, especially in conjunction with
> varroa, and many of these are serious, but I believe that KBV is no more
> serious a threat than many of the viruses already here.
 
According to Dr Denis Anderson (not a Kiwi, mind you...) who has a
pretty good grasp of both practical and scientifice beekeeping,
Kashmir bee virus has been found in *every* population of bees that
have been tested by the accepted methodology for identification.
 
One might go further and say it is probably present in *every*
population of bees...
 
Far be it for me give a biblical quotation variation, but "If you
seek, you will probably find"...  And having found, and realised it
hasn't been causing any practical problems, you'd have to ask the
motivation for holding it against NZ for all this time...
 
  (\           Nick Wallingford
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