>supporting the hypothesis that nosemosis is not the main reason
> of the collapse and death of beehives.
>>
>
Nosemosis, whether by N apis or ceranae, can clearly cause the collapse
and/or death of colonies--otherwise there would be little market for
fumagillin. Once either nosema infects over about half the bees in a hive,
that colony will start to go downhill. That doesn't necessarily mean that
it is the cause of CCD.
>I have a hunch that both nosemas have been around a lot longer than
initially proposed
As I have viewed samples of nosema in various areas over the past few
years, my observations support the hypothesis the N ceranae has recently
invaded. For example, at a convention in Oregon last year, the organizers
set up microscopes for attendees to view bee pathogens. When I looked at
the nosema sample, I was surprised to clearly see the distinctive spores of
N apis, rather than the N ceranae which I expected. When I questioned
where the sample came from, it turned out that it was from an archived
sample of bees in alcohol from a several years earlier. Current samples
generally contain N ceranae.
This has happened several times. Juanse and I also observed samples of
what appeared to be pure N apis when we visited Western Australia. N
ceranae had apparently not yet invaded.
> >perhaps -- the distinction between the two is an artifact of improved
> technology and observation, and the need to publish, publish, publish...
>
> Or, perhaps we are simply observing the invasion of a novel parasite into
bee populations worldwide, similar to the invasions of American Foulbrood,
tracheal mite, various viruses, and one parasite invasion that you've
surely noticed--that of the varroa mite. I seriously doubt that the
invasion by varroa was an artifact of the need of researchers to publish!
(That was a comment intended to be humorous).
--
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com
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