>Both the 1970s and 2006+ events were blamed on everything anyone could  
image, although due to the Cold War, in the 70s nuclear radiation was a  
suspect, in the 2000s, cell phones were blamed. ...

It has been human nature for thousands 
of years to attempt to find reason for 
these events.

about 29 B.C.E.
"The nymphs, companions of the unhappy maid, This 
punishment upon thy crimes have laid; And sent 
a plague among thy thriving bees." 
- Virgil, Georgics, book IV

0916 A.D., 
"Of that year it is related that ‘many evil signs’ were 
manifested:  The heavens seemed to glow with comets: 
a flame of fire arose from beyond the west of Ireland 
until it passed over the sea eastwards.  A few years
later, a terrible mortality occurred, which included ‘men, 
cattle, and bees’."

IMO, this blame, although in error, has
served the beekeeper well for centuries, 
by reassuring confidence in his management 
techniques.  'Knowing' that the cause is
outside of his control, he therefore has no
need to change management techniques
after every devastating loss, and thus
maintained a kind of stability in learned
techniques.   

Best Wishes,
J. Waggle 
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/HistoricalHoneybeeArticles

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