to me we've made a big science project out of a what some common sense could help solve. 

ponder having an operation of 500 hives that is on clean comb never contaminated with any harsh 
mite treatments, using russian or resistant genetics and a combination of other soft treatments. 
consider that these hives are not moved but rather placed permanently where no heavy farming 
pressure exsits. assume that they are located in the north where a 2-3 month no brood cycle 
exists. 

now consider another 500 hive operation which is moved repeatedly for pollination and is on 
some level of contaminated comb and portions of the season sits on heavy ag use land. assume 
this operation moves to warm climes during the off season and amps up their bees for almonds 
with lots of gmo based feed and gmo soy based pollen subsitutues. assume they have heavy mite 
pressure every spring from no down time for the brood cycle and bees that are mite happy mass 
produced conveyor belt italians with no breeding selection criteria other then laying eggs 
whenever some HFCS comes down the pipe. assume they mingle with other feedlot bees

why would anyone spend any money or time studying the problems associated with the second 
operation?  i'm not sure that federal or other research money is well spent looking into the 
practices employed by the second kind of operation.  its the same stupidity as subsidizing 
industiral farming practices that are corporate profit based and short on benefits to the 
community and environment.

our government should have a sustainable farming standard and only fund activities that meet 
some kind of standard of common sense and sustainable practices. if we fund the feedlot 
practices side of the equation then we risk pushing those problems onto the other side of the 
fence also.

As I started this thread i'll repeat my beleif that CCD has turned into an over blown media circus of 
epic proportions while common sense sits by the sidelines. IMO the losses were never that big as 
compared to other historical losses and the likely sources of the problems are inherently flawed 
practices doomed to never ending problems. its a big sham!     

CCD = The Y2K Bee story of 2007! 

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