> Fall fumagillin treatments and winter simulative pollen feeding were
> compared. Neither treatment significantly lowered N. ceranae levels in
> colonies sampled 3-6 months later, nor did they significantly improve
> colony survival. Due to the high cost of treatment and the time required,
> we do not recommend either treatment for N. ceranae infections during the
> fall.

Fumagillin *in my opinion* has little effect on nosema ceranae *except* for
seeming to keep nosema ceranae spore counts from flying off the charts.

Nosema ceranae is hard to paint in black and white terms as many variables. 
I
think the most important finding above is simply using fumagillin will not
eliminate nosema ceranae and when other factors such as mites and stress are
happening nosema ceranae can be as Peter said "another nail in the coffin".

>Colony winter losses due solely to N. ceranae seem unlikely because levels
>of N. ceranae were low.

The key word by researchers today is "solely".  Bees are fragile today in
commercial operations and colony loss is rarely traced to a "sole" cause.

>Impacts from N. ceranae infections were also minimal during the summer as
>productive colonies had some of the highest levels of infection.

The big *difference* between apis an ceranae has been the above. ceranae is
a problem in summer when apis had little effect.

>Although N. ceranae is prevalent throughout hives, it does not seem to be a
>major cause of colony losses.

Again hard to agree or disagree. Mainly because most hive loss in late
summer is usually traced to several possible causes of which many times
nosema ceranae is one. At times maybe the most possible and at times only a
small factor.

The most important point from the study is beekeepers need a better ( and
cheaper) control for use in apiaries in which nosema ceranae levels are
causing problems.

Fumagillin needs replaced.

bob

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