The case
> against N ceranae currently appears to me to be stronger than that against
> the neonics, but neither of them *alone* appear to be definitive causative
> factors.

My experience tells me that nosema ceranae *can* produce symptoms *exactly*
like described by Higes ( Spain) in my area.  From speaking with my friends
in Australia monthly and keeping up on their nosema ceranae issues I find
nosema ceranae is less of a problem when mites are not present but that a
noticeable difference can be observed between bees used only for package &
queen production ( treated with fumigillin) and the untreated hives used in
honey production. *so far* collapse on a scale seen in the U.S. to my
knowledge has not been seen yet.

My hypothesis:
When mites are present so are virus like KBV and when present nosema ceranae
is more of an issue.
After all the one factor found in 100% of the CCD samples was KBV & nosema
ceranae.

as for the neonicotinoids those of us which have seen losses can not really
believe there are still doubters about the neonicotinoids causing bee
problems. The Sierra Club magazine this month talks about research which
found out what has been killing the frogs is atrazine in the water. Atrazine
is in my water supply. The reason I during reverse osmosis water.

Estrogen  from birth control pills has been found to be killing
fish and fish becoming hermaphrodite in 20+  rivers in England.
( source a biologist I had dinner with tonight to discuss bee problems).

What ever is causing large scale bee problems it seems to coincide with
large scale use of the neonicotinoids and as the book " A Spring Without
Bees" documents the areas with the most claimed CCD are the areas with the
most use of the neonicotinoids. The USDA_ARS researchers I have discussed
this with agree that the facts support a *possible* ( improvable?)
connection.

History has shown that virus (without the presence of mites) has little
effect on colonies. The reason the work of Bailey was largely ignored until
mites. The 92 edition of the "Hive and the Haney Bee " only devoted a couple
pages to virus out of 1324 pages.

bob

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