>   I argue that the bee
> losses attributed to TM in the U.S., when TM first hit,  may NOT have been
>  TM,
> but a pathogen that is easily missed.
>
> Actually, this is something that was discussed on this list way back when
Tracheal was the only mite. Generally speaking, mites can kill all by
themselves, but their primary bane to the beekeeper is the baggage they
allow to follow, either by the pathogens they transmit or they weaken the
bee so other factors can do the job.

I have often heard that many of the virus we take for granted now were lab
curiosities before the mites, and were in the general bee population. With
mites, the virus were able to affect the bees but we beekeepers only looked
at the mite. Eventually, and the people are Tony Jadczak and Shim, the virus
was IDed as a part of the problem. It could have been the problem in the
past, also, just never identified.

I am not saying that CCD is Tracheal, but that some beekeepers think they
have CCD but it is Tracheal, only because they have never seen Tracheal or
it has disappeared from their radar.

Thanks for the clarification on pesticides in bees. My point was and is that
if beekeepers are suffering losses to Imid, as reported, then it is a simple
matter to test for it and verify the cause.

My guess is you will find a lot of stuff but not Imid, and some of that
stuff will be embarrassing to the beekeeper.

I just do not know how, in this age of illegal pesticide use, mites, Nosema
C, and persistence of legal pesticides in wax, how one can determine just
becasue Imid was in the area that it is the culprit. Might be, but let's
test.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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