Do you think bees can be bred to withstand heavy brood comb contamination or for life in a holding yard with 70,000 colonies ? If the news came today that overly medicated chickens were dying by the millions in feedlot containment facilities would anyone be surprised? Would there be any mystery? Should USDA start a big research program into why sickly birds kept in an unnatural density are .......surprise living a unsustainable exsistance? I wonder if the Adee's will maintain so many colonies in such close proximity in the future. One could argue that their losses may have been mitigated if not for the packing densities. So how devasting is CCD if you keep your bees dispersed and reduce mingling between locations? These are not the questions that some seek as it does not fit into their paradigm. My point is that while CCD appears deadly, is the situation made worse by the honeybee feedlot management techniques that have emerged in the last decade? Just like losses in a livestock or poultry containment facilities can create a domino effect, likewise the migratory industry is doomed for one crisis after another as more and more colonies will be moved each year to CA for the ever increasing almond pollination demand. As the system is stressed, more bottom feeder operations will move their hives to CA and more non-USA sourced bees will be brought in to solve the "crisis" and add to the cesspool of disease, pests and unknowns. As long as pollination prices stay high their will be beekeepers willing to spin the bottle and go for the jackpot or bust. I feel for our CA brothers and sisters who have no where to hide......... **************************************************** * General Information About BEE-L is available at: * * http://www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/default.htm * ****************************************************