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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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From:
randy oliver <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:33:32 -0800
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>Kathy if you keep bees for many years you will find that there are many
ways to depopulate a hive

However, not many that leave a well-fed colony with full frames of apparenty
healthy brood.  Such a condition is indicative of sudden attrition of the
adult population.  This is the definitive set of symptoms for CCD.

This is not a normal set of symptoms for poor weather, starvation, nosema,
varroa, TM, AFB, or the usual suspects.  The symptoms would fit an adult bee
virus, perhaps in synergy with additional stressors, such as nosema.

However, Western unexplained collapses generally fit a different
scenario--involving dwindling to a handful of bees and a queen.  There may
be different factors in "classic" and "Western" CCD.  This symptom is
typical of colonies dwindling from nosema, TM, or virus.  However, the issue
again is the apparent suddeness of the collapse.

What I feel that we need to do to end this fruitless argument is to
differentiate between CCD and generic colony collapses.  Of course, CCD-type
symptoms are more likely with stressed bees.

This past year was the worst honey crop on record, plus there were major
varroa issues in some operations.  Those two factors would be expected to
result in massive winter/spring colony collapses.

Any addition of a virulent virus or novel pathogen combination would be
expected to exacerbate those losses.

Randy Oliver

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