Hello All,
Not sure what happened to my post . correct version.

> Hello Peter & All,
>
> Around six years ago I was involved with heavy losses in an operation in 
> the south  running around fifty thousand hives.( comments in the BEE-I 
> archives) Samples were taken and sent to the U.K. for testing. I spent 
> many days looking over the return data from Brenda Ball & Norman Carrick.
>
> From what I learned from the experience I feel qualified to comment.
>
> Virus are in all hives. None of the below are new or not common. DWV  & 
> BQCV are very common and common in samples when bees are crashing. Were in 
> those samples back then.
>
> Spain has been fighting a long battle against nosema  ceranae. What the 
> below research leaves out is my sources say around 100% of the below test 
> hives had levels of nosema  ceranae. Exactly like the CCD dead outs. In 
> CCD 100 % of the CCD hives tested positive for nosema ceranae.
>
> Nosema ceranae weakens the bees immune system which most researchers 
> agree.  since we know samples taken in 1985 in Maine and checked last 
> month found nosema ceranae spores in 30% of the samples one has to wonder 
> the influence with the problem hives.. Yes fellow beekeepers nosema 
> ceranae has been in the U.S. a long long time. At least 24 years and 
> exactly how much longer is being looked at as I write.
>
> What does surprise me from the below is that KBV was only found in 1.7% of 
> the samples. KBV killed thousands of hives in the Peace River district of 
> Canada around five years ago or what was the suspected killer reported by 
> Canadian researchers( Speedy Bee /ABJ & B.C.).
>
> Looking back the missing data which may provide a key to those dead hives 
> is *if* was nosema ceranae was present in those samples back then. We need 
> to go back and recheck those samples to confirm *if* nosema ceranae was 
> present. Back then both Canadian researchers and the USDA_ARS said nosema 
> ceranae was not in the U.S. & Canada. Opps!
>
> Danny Weaver ( president of the American Beekeeping federation at the 
> time) said at the time in the ABF newsletter Sept./Oct. 2007 vol. 65 no.5 
> pg.4 "From the president"  ( and quoted in my Dec. 2007 ABJ article  pg. 
> 1030) that the main findings by CCD researchers looking into CCD was the 
> fact the Nosema ceranae and KBV was found in 100% of the CCD samples while 
> ABPV was not.
>
> It is my opinion. *OPINION* that if researchers in Canada revisit those 
> sample from the Peace River die off that nosema cerane spore levels will 
> be found which *could* link those dead hives to CCD . Canada researcher 
> still persist that the huge die off of bees in Canada is not linked to CCD 
> ( which may or may not be true in my opinion)
>
> I guess if maybe we knew exactly what CCD is then Canada researchers could 
> decide.
>
>> The occurrence and spatial distribution of deformed wing virus (DWV),
> black queen cell virus (BQCV), and Kashmir bee virus (KBV) were assessed 
> in
> 294 honeybee colonies in Spain by employing a SYBR-Green based real time
> RT-PCR. 60% of them were positive for both DWV and BQCV, and those two
> viruses were detected in 84% and 68% of the samples, respectively.
> Conversely, KBV was detected in only 1.7% of the samples. -- from the 
> abstract.
>
> The USDA-ARS said for years we had no KBV in the U.S. then Denis Anderson 
> ( Australia world famous virologist) discovered KBV in U.S. samples. Opps! 
> Then when older samples were rechecked KBV was found to be widespread in 
> the U.S.
>
> 100% of CCD samples!
>
> It would be interesting to me to learn as close as possible to the number 
> of years KBV has been in the U.S.
>
> five years?
>
> 10 years?
>
> decades like nosema ceranae?
>
> Moving on as viruses have always been with us ( Bailey) and no way to 
> fight except:
>
> After days of looking at research from the U.K. and looking at the 
> conclusion presented by Ball & Carrick ( U.K. virus researchers) the only 
> path for beekeepers was to control mites and other problems ( nosema 
> ceranae)  and provide the best nutrition possible for our bees.
>
> Actually  since then Brenda Ball & norman Carrick have been let go and the 
> research on virus and bees has been stopped. Has the situation changed U.K 
> beeks on BEE-L?
>
> As beekeepers we face many problems . Our CCD working team has listed four 
> possible causes for CCD  (which is simply a name for specific symptoms and 
> in my opinion only muddies the water but at least has drawn attention to 
> hives crashing and made possible much needed bee research we would not 
> have been able to afford as an industry without public attention to our 
> problems which is why I support the CCD team. Wall Street gets a  700 
> billion bailout ( now referred to as  a rescue plan) and beeks get 4 
> million. Alaska fisherman received 160 million for their problems. However 
> I do appreciate whatever beekeeping receives.
>
> Despite what some may say both national organizations ( and many beeks) 
> have spent many days in Washington testifying and pushing for our cause. 
> Countless beeks have pushed their reps for action.
>
> So far the best advice for our current virus problems came to me  from 
> the U.K. years ago and still works for me today plus the discovery of 
> nosema ceranae ( 24 years after found in 30% of the Maine samples). 
> Although my friend Randy Oliver and I do not agree on the the dangers 
> nosema ceranae presents to beekeepers ( researchers in Spain are not in 
> complete agreement also) I can say I have been fighting losses in my hives 
> from nosema ceranae going on two years. I saw the problem but did not know 
> what I was seeing until testing confirmed nosegay coronae. This fall I am 
> only seeing bees not taking feed in two yards and hope to see the problem 
> turned around this week after two drenches. if not I will drench again . 
> Since I have adopted Randy Oliver's recommendations ( also Dr. Eric 
> Mussed) I have not observed the dead bees in feeder symptom so I believe I 
> am getting on top of my nosegay coronae issues.
>
> In my humble opinion the bee viruses in Spain causes no concern. Nothing 
> new!
>
> bob 

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