>I found that part of the film appalling, disgusting, and embarrassing (as
a beekeeper).

Me too.  But would be the same for any form of agriculture.  You would not
want to see all the gory details of every step in the production of all the
neatly-presented food in the supermarket.

>Were they walking on them?

Disturbed bees tend not to stay on the ground.  There are some things that
as a beekeeper I would avoid showing to the public.  I too take great care
not to kill bees (other than necessary mite washes or depopulation of very
sick colonies).

>It seems pretty apparent that CCD is an idea, not a thing.
>

CCD was a name for an observed syndrome.  Those of us who have seen it (and
continue to see it) would certainly call it an observable phenomenon, in
which the look and behavior of the bees change, and the adult population
rapidly abandons the hive.  It can be caused by various pathogens, or
combinations thereof, under certain conditions.  It can be created under
controlled conditions.

I can't say that all the money allocated to CCD research was well spent,
but a great deal of it was.  I myself have benefited greatly from the
findings of much of the research, now understand what happens in colonies
prior to the sudden collapse, and now manage my colonies to minimize the
occurrence of collapse/dwindling symptoms.

If there are those who have not yet learned to do so, it is not for lack of
available information, but rather due to not applying what we have learned.


Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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