???

>No mention of Varroa or virus but "bee belly fungus" has a nice ring(tone)
and a great name for a rock group.

It is hard for the average person to grasp what is causing bee problems
today so the author of the article listed the most common *heard* causes in
simple easy to understand wording.

What I hear from the person on the street (which is the person the article
is directed at in my opinion).

(I do the largest farm market in the six state area and perhaps the largest
in the nation or certainly in the top five. The beekeeping booths I run have
been in place *every* year since 1926. I am the fourth beekeeper in the line
of beekeepers. My point is I get plenty of questions about the current bee
issue from Joe Public.)

What I hear:

1. Most believe pesticides are involved which may or may not be the whole
issue. Causing problems for I sure I say but not linked as a sole cause.

2. Many still ask about cell phones & bees and I doubt will go away soon
thanks to our media always wanting to push the absurd.(in my opinion)

3. "bee belly fungus" is not a correct term but one which *could* be used to
describe bee mid gut issues.(which I believe is related to the current bee
die off)

From my position 1 & 3 are involved in today's bee health but still 
uncertain
to what extent.

Bee virus is fast heading for a back burner (much to the dismay of those
looking for research funding).
Researchers are pushing virus as the causes and if given enough MONEY they
will come up with a cure (to be sold to beekeepers?).

Varroa is the problem stupid! is the *battle cry* of beekeepers wanting the
research focus be put on varroa.

>Allen, one more thing to look at in view of the article- did you remove the
bee's cell phones? (Maybe what the researcher heard was not piping but the
bee's cell phone ring tones.)

In my opinion the cell phone issue is really hurting attempts to get serious
research.


bob

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