Thanks Bob!

Now you've really got me wondering--I will call Shad, too.

What I wonder is why N ceranae suddenly became a problem for you (and
others), and then appeared to go away, despite your using fumagillin all
years.  What the heck changed?

Even stranger, is that fumagillin in gallons of syrup is not controlling N
ceranae at all in operations in various areas (pers comms).  So what keeps
it from coming back in your operation?

It sure sounds like the bleach solved your problem, but damn I wish that you
would have left a half dozen untreated!

In my operation, still N ceranae in all the colonies in my two year old
untreated N ceranae test yard, but hard to find in other yards in my
operation, despite the fact that all went to almonds last year, and that I
move bees and make nucs, and mix bees from various yards all the time.

>
> >but in my opinion those boxes ( or perhaps the feeders) carried enough
> spores to cause a serious nosema ceranae issue.
>

Dr Eischen feels that honey supers are doing the same.  Yet, I supered up my
nosema yard with deadout boxes last season, and they all thrived, untreated.


>
> >Whatever the contamination problem was freezing did not solve the problem
>

That's good to know.  But sure makes me wonder why, since two separate
researchers found that freezing knocked the snot out of N ceranae spores.

>
> >I do wonder about spore contamination in the feeders. Would the nosema
> spores resisted the freezing because suspended in even a thin amount of
> heavy sucrose syrup? Do dying bees from nosema ceranae regurgitated spores
> into the feeders?
>

Both good questions, Bob!


>
> >In part three we washed out good plus used the Clorox solution.
>

Good idea  : )    I use a cup of bleach to 55 gal of syrup to keep all my
feeder jars clean.

>
> >Most of my hives never had nosema ceranae issues but all of my hives have
> been fed fumigillin on a regular basis for many years.
>

So again, I wonder why the short term problem, and even more so, why it
didn't come back.  The effect of bleach would be very short term, as is the
effect of fumagillin on N ceranae.  Has been clearly shown to be able to
rebound a few months after treatment.

>
> >Which is the reason I am puzzled by having nosema ceranae issues at all.
>

You and me both!!!!! >

>Mostly I use the ether roll.  Time is money and the ether roll is fast and
accurate.

I'm partial to alcohol wash.  Quicker than ether, and more accurate.

> II made up a couple hundred sheets as Allen Dick web site says from 4X8
sheets (while porcelain board) but they took too long to place & return to
check so they are sitting in the shed.

I also don't have time to return to check, so only use for 10-min drop after
dusting.  But I am checking all best-producing colonies for mite levels, so
as to choose breeders.


>Use a bright lite to look for varroa scat in deadout cells in spring which
to me is a sure sign of varroa levels over threshold at time of collapse.

Ditto here--just use the sun over my shoulder.  I see very few varroa
deadouts in my operation any more.

>
>
> >I do not have a clue.
>

Bob, don't be so hard on yourself!  I greatly respect your observations!  ;
)

Randy Oliver

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