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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
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Wed, 26 Aug 2009 23:35:56 EDT
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In a message dated 8/26/2009 6:10:00 P.M. Mountain Daylight Time,  
[log in to unmask] writes:

takes us  back to the subject line.
Allen said:
 

Apparently there are survivors.
Sometimes - depends, I've seen it move through and wipe out whole yards, in 
 others, there are survivors.  It doesn't hit every colony at exactly the  
same time, generally takes out some, then more, etc.  In the end, there are  
usually a few survivors - mostly with a queen and small retinue of bees.
 
How much of that is luck and how much might be some sort of  resistance?
 
Anyone's guess, but it acts like a contagious disease - takes out a bunch  
of colonies, then slowly removes more, but usually some start to fail, then  
recover, and some aren't affected.


Also, does CCD seem to hit all strains and colours of bees?
 
Yes, no compelling evidence that I've seen that it is worse in any strains, 
 or less harmful.

Have we seen it in the Russian bees?  Yes
 
Our surveys suggest that it may be a bit more common in Italian, a bit less 
 common in Russian.  However, winter kills were a bit higher with Russian,  
bit less with Italian.  But all of this may be skewed by the number of  
beekeepers who have Italian versus the number who have Russian  bees.

There was also some hint about AHB being less or unaffected, or is  that 
due 
to lack of observations....
 
Lack of observations - I've not seen any hard studies.  It seems to be  a 
myth based on the supposed absence of it in some of the bees managed by SW  
beekeepers, where the bee operations are known to be partially  africanized.  
Initially, the word was that these bees did not have CCD -  but by year 
two, that was no longer the case.

Are there any particularly  susceptible strains?
 
Not that I am aware of - maybe someone else has data, but I haven't seen  
it.  I can track the more recent CCD from one bee operation to  another, have 
a pretty good idea of its origin, but that would start an needless  feud.  
Nothing to be gained at this stage pointing a finger of blame.   If CCD made 
a major pass through bee operations in the 70s, which I suspect to  be true 
after talking with Bill Wilson; that epidemic also could be traced to a  
common source.

Specific suppliers? 



None from our surveys of several hundred U.S. and some Canadian  beekeepers.
 
If you are looking for resistant stocks, I suggest you look for and breed  
from survivors.

Jerry

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