I wrote
> ...you might want to consider the possibility that the 
> bacterial or viral or fungal pathogen is transmitted by 
> a parasite such as Varroa or tracheal mites, which would 
> make controlling mites the key to controlling CCD.

Jim Fischer responded:
If any of those possibilities were the case, then, colonies 
from packages on irradiated combs would have fared no better 
than colonies from packages put on non-irradiated combs.

 Does the fact that the final pathogen that produces CCD persists on dead 
out equipment really preclude the existence of an intermediary such as 
Varroa?  If so how?  I guess I just don't see how it is necessarily an 
either/or proposition.  And if there is an intermediate carrier, then 
wouldn't controlling that carrier be crucial to at least reducing the risk 
of CCD?
Also, I am not sure I see that stress is something that ought not be 
considered here.  And I'm not on the anti commercial band wagon.  The fact 
that in the study you mention stress was the same for all colonies just 
means that stress was not a part of the test.  Stress may not be easily 
measured, but it certainly can be induced.  That stress tends to weaken an 
organism's immune system is a pretty universally accepted notion if not a 
scientifically proven fact.  On the other hand it is possible that the 
honey bee immune system has no chance against whatever causes CCD in which 
case no amount of stress reduction would do any good against it.  It does 
seem like this possibility has not been as fully considered as the ones 
that tend to point the finger at commercial beekeepers, those ultimate 
stress inducers of all time.  It just occurred to me that if stress is such 
a big factor in CCD then stationary beekeepers ought not worry about 
getting it since their bees are all on the Apis equivalent of a yoga 
retreat. I'm just kidding.
  

Steve Noble

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