Hello Randy & All,
Randy said:
> One benefit, Bob, of such research is that if the problem is indeed found 
> to
> be one or more viruses,

I respect your opinion Randy so will answer the post.

I have spent days living in my RV and spending up to 14 hours a day looking 
at the virus/bee issue with the beekeeper I consider to be (although a 
recluse) the largest beekeeper in the world before his retirement.
Many others were brought in. From those discussions and contact with Ball & 
Carrick in the U.K. we came to many realities about bees and virus.

1. In *ALL* our samples tested the results *never* only found a single 
virus.

2. In *all* the CCD samples I have been told *never* was a single virus 
found.

Virus is found in all hives bees & bees carry virus but when healthy virus 
is NOT an issue. Bailey proved this long ago! Bailey also proved that some 
virus he named only killed bees in a lab setting. So having researchers say 
they have found a virus which killed bees in a lab setting proves nothing.

 Carrick proved bees can handle *all* known virus when healthy and varroa 
are not present.

Ball & Carrick proved that if you control varroa you control virus issues.

In my opinion a couple years of CCD team looking into virus and CCD is not 
going to change decades or research and experiments by Bailey, Ball & 
Carrick.

Simply put:
We already through decades of research in the U.K. know the only ways to 
fight virus. After all we can't give each bee a vaccine . In fact we asked 
just that. Could some sort of medicine be developed and fed to bees to 
prevent say KBV. The answer was no!

The answer was to control varroa mites and keep bees healthy with good 
nutrition. reduce bee stress.

On a related subject:

I think you know what I am about to say Randy:

One commercial beekeeper dumped over 6000 pounds of one of our leading kinds 
of bee supply pollen sub in the dumpsters. Instead of making his hives grow 
as the full page adds say it made his bees dwindle.
Most commercial beeks are *now* making their own pollen sub from recipes 
passed through the grapevine and off the net. Using real eggs etc.

Say its not so Randy.

It is my opinion that the widespread use of the neonicotinoids on yards, 
fruit trees , golf courses and in agriculture is weakening the immune 
systems of our bees. The neonicotinoids are all around us now. In all the 
stores. Used in most yards.

Within the last 10 days research was presented to the EPA showing the 
neonicotinoids build up in the pollen and nectar of tree fruit in the second 
year.

Stay tuned for future revelations.

One of the largest chemical companies had the new neonicotinoids it tried to 
have put on the market last June refused without further testing.

The EPA (under pressure from many areas) is finally starting to stop rubber 
stamping new products without the proper testing.

All researchers are pushing for funding for their area of research. Having 
spent weeks looking into virus as the cause of bee crashing we came to a 
dead end.

Instead of the CCD team rushing to look at dead hives they need to go and 
look at beeks which have got hives boiling with bees. Sitting their hives 
right next to beeks with hives crashing with CCD and not having problems.

Sure many beeks are having problems but just as many are not!

bob

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