Hello Randy & All,
> How did Norman control virus in the
experiment?

I don't believe virus is controllable with what is known today. At least the
conclusion we came up with in Florida in 2003.

From memory I believe the research at Rothamsted included the constant
monitor of hives for virus and with certain management procedures such as
starting new hives on foundation, some hives & bees when tested had little
or no virus detectable.

To do the type of testing Rothamsted did privately you need need a way  to
test for virus.

When these (none or low virus load )hives had their varroa loads increased
the bees were able to tolerate varroa without crashing.

A similar situation I have observed with the Russian bee. High varroa load
but no PMS signs. Sadly I had no way to test virus load back then nor has
the subject of the Russian bee and virus load ever researched although I
have suggested the same to several researchers. After Dr. Harbo I gave up.

Has our researchers been looking at varroa control wrong as Dr. Carrick
suggested?  Was the use of chemicals to fight the growth of varroa by
researchers in the 80's the wrong approach and we are paying now?
Is Havatan ( new untested *long term* chemical) the current varroa answer or
simply the industry accepting a temporary fix which we may pay for later?

Norman Carrick thought his findings would be very exciting to the beekeeping
world and was disappointed in my opinion when little was ever made of his
research. In fact I have been told that both Norman Carrick & Brenda Ball no
longer do research at Rothmsted. Perhaps if funding happens in the U.S.
these people could be involved?

If you pull out all the deadouts which died from beekeeper mismanagement and
those deaths related from lack of good pollen and nectar last fall from
drought in the Midwest and look at the rest called CCD then:

If the current named CCD problems are mainly mite/virus related ( as I
predicted a very long time ago on BEE_L) then commercial beekeepers  have
got big problems. As always I am taking the research of Diana Cox Foster
very seriously and have already started to making new changes besides the
changes I started in 2003 ( completed in 2006)after seeing first hand what
virus problems did in Florida.

Sincerely,
Bob Harrison



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