Kim Flottum posted the following in his online column:

Colony Collapse Disorder: The 'Sinister and Long Term Challenge' Reporting from an International Conference on Honey Bee Health, in the U.K.

"Investigations are underway across the globe and many suspects and accomplices are under suspicion – viruses once of little consequence are now becoming more prominent killers, but a clear pattern is elusive. One novel line of enquiry in Israel is focusing on 'gene silencing' in an attempt to suppress the expression of bee viruses in the honey bee genome," Max summed up. 

Bees infected with the live IAPV alone are rapidly killed, falling to the floor with spasms and paralytic seizures. Nutritional and environmental stressed can also contribute to the trigger that causes expression of the virus when it is incorporated in to the honey bee genome.

Finally, it was shown that unexpectedly high residues from varroa treatments, notably coumaphos (a pesticide), have been found in many hives in the U.S., indicating over-dosing and misuse of illegal treatments, said Max Watkins.

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