This site was talked about last spring, but it will be another data point
this spring.

http://beeinformed.org/2012/05/winter2012/

It surveyed beekeepers in order to let us know best management practices to
overwinter bees.

Last year 21% were lost. If the neonics are causing 50% losses (the CCD
like symptoms for some) then it appears that they are not an over-all
problem for most. And that is saying that they were the problem, not virus
and nosema which were implicated with CCD.

Add one other- "we know that" Amitraz was in short supply in the US last
year which meant that beekeepers who relied on its illegal use could not
get it. My understanding was that it was done by the manufacturer because
they knew about its illegal use and wanted to put a stop to it.

That came back to me this am, as it was another fact that I heard about
last year along with the comment that there would be many crashes this
winter. It is the best current mite treatment.

The unfortunate truth about the illegal use of Amitraz is that it is the
worst kept secret in US beekeeping but no one will pin the tail on any
donkeys or come forward and say that their bees crashed because they had to
go to other treatments. Personally, I will not condemn any beekeeper who
used it properly, even if it was illegal and I doubt if any others will, so
we will miss a potentially major piece of evidence- but then Poirot
occasionally allowed the guilty to go free. Loss of colonies is punishment
enough.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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