> > >Weather conditions likely affect quantity but not quality. Viable
> pollen of any sort is highly nutritious.
>


> >A paper presented at this year's ABRC suggests that pollen from
> drought-stressed plants may be far less nutritious to bees, since it
> markedly decreased the survivorship of caged bees.
>
> >> I think too little attention is being paid to the new study out
> of Wisconsin:
>
> >I'm in complete agreement, and have been trying to get other researchers
> to
> follow up on this.
>
>
> For me both things are related. This is my working hipothesis: First lack
of nutrition then comes the opportunistic serratia bacteria. If high varroa
loads colony goes directly to DWV and PMS (which probably have this
serratia as part of a bigger pool of bacterias).

As I pointed out previously the chilean beekeeper Mario Flores have been
behind "the Starving Illnes" as he calls it.
http://apiaraucania.blogspot.cl/2014/08/la-enfermedad-del-hambre-de-mario-flores.html
what I think after reading the mentioned paper is this Serratia bacteria
but Mario was never able to clearly identify what was he was seing under
the microscope and have fully clinically discribed.

I have send Randy the information I have at hand from this colleague. I
could ask more if need.
Mario is a great bee observer and really knows how to profit from his
microscope. He can even peak a "serratia" infected bee from the crowd.
Something to do with the wing form, like a K-angle, as I remember.

We did the experimentation. The bee that I picked there was no serratia and
there was, on the one that he had picked. That is what I saw under the
microscope.

Yes, no one have proved that serratia is what Mario describes as the
Starving Illnes. It is me who think that. Prove me wrong please but with
due respect, really I do not care, because I am a comertial beekeeper that
is always beting on best practices, and till now seems to work (as measured
by fullfilling pollination contracts).

Even tough I admire and respect Mario's carniolan queens I think he
develops a very Spartan beekeeping and his hives usually starve and suffer
from high varroa loads. Is his method of selection and his managment and he
have lived out of his beekeeping for way more time than me. Lots of
respect. I live out of the fruits, out of the partners. The hives are like
an insurance. You pay for it and hope you do not have to use it.

Once in a while I pollinate in the same field with Mario and end up with a
couple of his swarms or use a couple of his frames for grafting queen that
latter are subject to my ... uh, do not know how to call my beekeeping, let
say NonSpartan

This year I ask for Mario's help and rented 300 of his hives in a farm
where we put 600 hives. I end up with 20 of his swarms and grafted some 100
queens from 3 of his best performers hives in that farm.

We do not have serratia yet but Mario leaves with outbreaks.

Lacks of Nutrition; we feed in summer and spring. He doesn't or is not
enough and usually just sugar. He leaves reserves, we also plus feed at
proper times. he doesn't produce honey, we do.
Lots of Varroa: we are very diligents with varroa. One guy in the team is
mr varroa and I am all the time over his shoulders to know the readings. We
treat each time we arrive to 1% and before feeding in summer if readings
are >9%, other wise we treat after summer feeding. We have rotated active
principle and migrated to organic acids with great results.We do not wait
to see the mf we chase them with sugar shakes. WE WANT TO KILL THEM !!!
Mario do not.

Mario have been doing beekeeping in the same spots for over 50 years and
have write a book about "sustainability" aka planting for the bees because
his landscape have degraded and is not able to sustain that much hives.

I am a new comer with only 13 years in the trade. I take for granted that I
have to feed and KILL. I do not have the starving illness, he have named
it.

Cheers

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