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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Jerry Bromenshenk <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 8 May 2008 13:00:56 EDT
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I agree with all that Eric has to say.   He and I have had  extensive 
conversations about these issues.
 
Eric mentions researcher results. I will add that we have been sampling  bees 
for N. ceranae since a member of our research team first announced  its 
presence last April (2007). That annoyed researchers who knew it was in  U.S. bees, 
but hadn't told the bee industry about it.
 
Every CCD operation that we've sampled since August has had  N. ceranae in 
some of the colonies - as verified by PCR by Dr. Robert  Cramer at Montana State 
University - our sister institution.  We weren't  looking for this pathogen 
until Joe DeRisi found it last April.  Robb got  set up to look for it before 
end of the summer, and we've been screening for it  ever since.
 
After Dr. Highes and Randy Oliver reported a difference in the number of  
spores of N. ceranae in bees of different ages, we changed our  sampling 
procedure.
 
Last month I sampled several bee operations in CA.  In each case, I  took a 
sample of old bees and a sample of young bees from each marked  colony.  More 
often than not, we saw it in the older bees, only  occasionally in young bees.  
Seeing 12 million spores in an old bee, versus  none in a young bee is quite 
a contrast.
 
I'm skeptical that any treatment is going to help the health  of individual 
bees that are already infected, but this preliminary data  indicates that 
treatment in the spring MAY help protect the young, uninfected  bees.
 
I can't say whether increasing the dose, frequency of application, or  
drenching bees will do the trick.  I can say that we and many ID and WA  beekeepers 
used fumadil/fumagillin last fall according to label directions for  N. apis 
AND IT DIDN'T WORK.  Huge overwinter losses, and LOTS of  N. ceranae in the 
bees.
 
N. ceranae seems to be a tough little pathogen.  As I've said  before, it 
doesn't account for all cases of CCD, but it certainly is  widespread.  When we 
find colonies that are in poor shape, tossing out  dead/dying bees that are 
loaded with N. ceranae spores, it sure looks  like what the Spaniards have been 
describing.
 
Remember also, we are more focused on large bee operations in the WEST than  
are some of the other CCD researchers.  Out here, we share one thing in  
common with Spain, lots of  areas of semi-arid, relatively hot  climate.
 
Jerry
 
 



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