Charles, I think there must be a typo on Figure 2.  Often people
cut-and-paste parts of the captions as they write their papers, and I think
that they meant to change "Virus" to "Acetylcholinesterase".  The graph
shows dates on the X axis versus RQ (relative quantity) of AChE (not
"virus") on the Y axis.  Note the graph title supports my assumption.


I suspected that,  but to me that's even more confusing as it scows the
levels of ACHe   the same in all hives???





The mite levels were probably about the same in all the hives at the
beginning, as they explained these hives were from one beekeeper and
"Colonies were all new healthy divisions of 2012, equal in population size,
provided with newly fertilized and tested queens. Honeybees were received on
28-June 2012 in temporary hives. Then they were moved to 32 new Langestroth
hives. Colonies were split into four apiaries of 8 colonies each on 1-July
2012."

That's my point.  If the split was done in July,  and by AUG 12 there is
already a difference in mite loads,  A  they screwed up royally,  or B
possibly mite level was related to something else.  
The question is the mite load the cause?  Or a factor of?  Personally
without knowing more about the mite situation  the rest of the data seems to
tell me nothing.

I would EXPECT higher mite levels to have higher incidence of the mentioned
virus.   Pesticides or not.  

Interesting that mite Fundicity is a huge variable we know of,  but know
little about.  Wondering out loud if it is a variable,  or just coincidence
that the hives on the "bad corn" seem to be spiked.

Charles

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