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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Bob Harrison <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 23 Mar 2005 14:29:26 -0600
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Hello All,
I really don't want to get involved again in this subject but will add a few
points.

I really do not consider my friends Allen or Jerry in the mainstream of the
beekeeping grapevine.
Also
Telling all your fellow beekeepers (to many commercial beekeepers) your
hives died from whatever reason is like sharing you just got a shot of
antibiotic from your doctor for a dose of the clap in the circles I travel
in!

Jerry said:
I did not hear from any beekeeper or researcher convincing arguments for a
varroa induced crash.

When was the last time the bee lab sent teams  to California to look at a
situation and take samples?

Jerry said:
-- I find 5 mites per hive hard to rationalize as the cause of the problem.

Forget  what you think you know about varroa Jerry and ponder the fact that
hives did crash this year with just such a low varroa drop. Samples sent by
beekeepers to a lab overseas (around the U.S. bee labs )came back showing
three bee virus. Kashmire bee virus was the most often found in the PMS
smears. One report said their research found a hive can die in three days
from Kashmire bee virus.

Jerry said:
 They reported that the 'decimated' hives started their decline months
before and many went into the winter in poor shape -- substandard stores and
weak populations.

same stories I have heard from many BUT not all!

Jerry said:
I can't even get a number on how many of the commercial beekeepers were
reporting heavy losses

Are you wishing to help solve the problem or document the problem. Document
is a waste of time as the beekeepers involved are looking to the future and
not the past. The nice point about varroa is that varroa only lives a week
without a host and you can simply drop new bees in and what happened with
varroa last season is a memory.

Jery said:
So, what we need is some hard data.  I'm working on a reporting system for
bee losses, whether mites, pesticides, bears.  Lots of reasons to get this
documented.  Stay tuned, we will be launching a site for this in the near
future.

So the solution is in your opinion to document the problem and start a
website?

I am sorry if you think I am being rough on you but you guys *are* getting
the kid gloves treatment here from me. Four letter words are used in many of
the beekeeper circles I travel in.

Bob

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