I am challenging the assumption that high spore counts in bees indicate that the colonies are headed for collapse. This is NOT the same as counting varroa. I have yet to see a hive with very high levels of varroa ever recover on its own. Usually once they reach 30% they are not coming back, even with treatment. Whereas, high levels of nosema spores are often seen in hives that are apparently healthy. Also, there is plenty of evidence that fumagillin is not effective in lowering spore counts and/or reducing colony collapse. SO -- the burden of proof is on those who claim that a colony with high spore count is going to fail or not produce a crop or not build up normally. And the burden of proof is on those who claim that feeding fumagillin is effective. Because if it isn't, it's idiotic to be feeding a highly toxic antibiotic such as this. Also, to state that nosema is not a problem for researchers because they don't haul their bees all over the place and stress them out, is the same as saying that all that hauling is making the bees sick. 

According to Jay Evans:

> The role of Nosema infection in recent bee losses is unclear. It has been argued that N. ceranae infection is virulent and a key factor in recent colony declines in Spain. Other studies have failed to find a direct or indirect link between either N. ceranae or N. apis and colony declines, and show that N. ceranae is no more virulent than N. apis. 

> A recent five-year study in Germany showed no correlation between N. apis or N. ceranae presence and colony loss in either the Spring–Summer or Fall–Winter seasons. Nosema infections are presumably driven by additional factors such as seasonal and climate conditions, nutritional status of the colony, the inoculum dose, coinfection with other pathogens, and host genetics. 

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