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Subject:
From:
Bob Harrison <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sat, 2 Jun 2007 22:13:18 -0500
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Hello All,

from the Sierra Vista Herald
http://www.svherald.com/


Ed Hermes ( A.D. of A.)
"The honey industry accounts for 11.8 million annually"

" The Arizona Dept. of Ag. no longer has a bee division ,so exact data is
not available"

What's wrong with this picture? An industry generating 11.8 million besides
pollination can't afford a single bee inspector?

The article points out organic beekeepers are not seeing CCD problems. The
reality is they make up less than one percent of beekeepers so are
statistically insignificant.

I also must point out many large operations factory farming bees are doing
quite well. The largest operation in Florida and most queen rearing
operations. Although CCD losses are significant they seem to involve large
losses in certain operations in certain areas. Which to me should be key to
finding the answer to CCD  losses.

Arizona does not have large areas of row crops using pesticide treated seed
(for example) as does the areas which have shown the most losses.
As Dr. Sanford said in his CCD update article ( May 2007 pg. 17):
quote:
" Beekeepers that have been the most effected so far have been close to
corn, cotton, soybeans, canola, sunflowers, apples vine crops and pumpkins"

from the information I have been told by CCD beekeepers and researchers I
have spoken with I have to agree with the above statement. I have no way of
knowing if Dr. Sanford listed the above in order of importance but I
personally would have listed corn first if I was making a suspect list.

 If pesticides are eventually shown to be the source of CCD then all the bs
put out in the Herald is bs as not even organic methods or small cell will
protect bees from contaminated pollen or pesticides.

In beekeeping you always look for the simple answer first. Follow the
evidence.

To sum CCD up:

The CCD team from what I am told is sitting back waiting to see what happens
this fall. Many samples have not been processed due to lack of funding.

Now lets fast forward to this fall.

Two possible scenarios:
1. repeat of last fall with an even bigger die off. CCD team does not know
which area to look at first. Still no money for many of the tests needed.

2. Normal fall losses and CCD goes the way of "disappearing disease" of old.

If number 1 happens many nay sayers of CCD will wish they had pushed for a
solution instead of waiting until they had losses themselves with no
solution. I remember what it was like when tracheal and varroa mites first
hit. Beekeepers sit by and watched while whole outfits were wiped out. The
cries of varroa losses by their fellow beekeepers and to get prepared fell
on deaf ears.
Twice my fellow beekeepers fought me in Missouri to get products registered
to fight mites. One actually told the state inspector we did not need
apistan registered as HE was not SEEING varroa on his bees. Apistan was
registered and we turned our losses around an Mr. hard headed beekeeper lost
ALL his hives the next year.

I have worked out a game plan for my operation and plan to implement at
first signs of CCD if no. 1 above happens.. What will others do? Watch hives
crash?  What can it hurt to at least have a plan to implement if necessary?

Hopefully CCD will simply disappear!

Bob


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