>It's a shame that these colonies were sent on to pollinate other crops.
Would have been interesting to see the year end results without the add
stressors.
I agree from a scientific standpoint. In fact, once the colonies were sent
off with the beekeeper, any rigor of impartiality was left up to the
beekeeper, who was anything but unbiased.
However, the point of the other pollinations was to satisfy the request by
the HBAB to track the treated colonies through a season for "delayed
effect." I was at the original meeting. Bayer was making a sincere effort
to listen to the beekeepers, and to fund a trial of their design. I've
spoken to the beekeepers, and they were happy with the choice of Dick Rogers
as principle investigator, and with his methodology.
I wish that I could post all the graphs and slides of the results to the
list, as they were very instructive visually. The scientists in the
audience were impressed by the meticulousness of the study. It was easy to
watch all the colonies, test and control, go downhill in lockstep during the
remainder of the season. Despite three treatments, mite levels in Oct
exceeded 10 mites per 100 bees in October and DWV was evident.
>Did you ask Dave if he prefers Movento to no spray, as well?
Yes I did, rhetorically, since the answer was obvious. Unfortunately, the
Asian Citrus Psyllid has made that option economically nonviable for citrus
growers. So the best practical solution is to use a product that causes the
least collateral damage.
Personally, I was as apprehensive as any when I first heard of the
registration of a "lipid synthesis inhibitor" that could cause brood
damage. However, I must now say that this trial convinced me of its safety
to bees when applied per the label in blooming citrus in Florida.
Randy Oliver
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