--- On Tue, 5/12/09, Brian Ames <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
 > If you read his articles you know 
> Kirk slices and dices his bees into nucs each year to stay
> ahead of the mites. 
> 
> its hard to beleive that mites would take out the nucs.


I’m not saying this is what happened with Kirks bees.
But, under the right conditions, there have been episodes where mites have taken out 50% or more of an entire region OR  local populations of bee colonies regardless of colony strength.  This happened here in SW PA as well as several other states in the North East that lost 50% or  more colonies during the winter of 95-96.  Strictly concerning my area (which I have direct experience with and observed what had occurred), many beekeepers here area lost 50% to 100% that fall and winter.  This, in spite of reports from many beekeepers who suffered losses who stated that “the State Bee Inspectors gave assurances during the season that thresholds were acceptable“.  From my observations, the die off in my area coincided with the several years where the demise of the ferals was in full swing.  Mite infested bees and displaced infested bees from collapsing colonies don’t die, they seem to loose their homing instinct and drift into other colonies during the
 season, or purposely drift into other colonies after becoming homeless.  Mite levels can rise rapidly in the entire apiary, bringing down many colonies regardless of the strength of a colony, or its “resistance” level.

Joe    




      

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