Hello All,

I also need your help!

I am a full time beekeeper (actually retired in 1998) but  beekeeping still
dominates my days. I am the guy at bee meetings wearing the hat which says:

"will somebody tell my wife I am retired!"

My point is the next six weeks are busy times for me but still want to
appeal to the list to keep their eyes and ears open for information
(possibly off the net) which will help me on my next research project later
this summer.

My friend Troy Fore lists three possible causes for the massive bee die-off
in his ABF report.

1. Are varroa mites killing the bees directly?
2. Are varroa serving as vectors for virus?
3.Are residues of mite treatments causing the deaths?

We know number 1 & 3 are playing a part without a doubt but
 no. 2 has raised its ugly head the last two summers in my area.

Hives which are not infested to a level even considered a treatment needed
level under IPM standards set out by researchers have crashed from parasitic
mite syndrum (PMS). Packages have crashed within five months of installation
with PMS symptoms.

My research is based on the  belief (possibly misguided!) that a natural
solution to virus control exists. My health food store friends have given me
the name of two possible substances which could be fed to bees or used in
hives to bolster the immune systems of honey bees to fight viral infections.
reports are they work in humans but would they be of help for honey bees.
Don't know!

Two I am looking at are green walnut hull solution & Olive leaf solution.
Are there others the list can suggest for consideration?

Lastly Dann Purvis and myself have observed and I have written in articles
about. The observation we both have made that  hives which seem to tolerate
varroa the best are producers of large amounts of propolis. Could the anti
viral properties of propolis be of help in controlling PMS virus problems
in honey bee colonies? Could decades of breeding selection against bees
which produce propolis been  a mistake?

Don't know but a burning question in my mind.

It will take several years to see if one of the above or other treatments
others suggest might work on the virus issue.

 I do promise to read all information sent to me but email answers will be
slow in coming due to my busy time of the year. Thanks in advance!

Sincerely,
Bob Harrison

Ps.
First load of hives from first import of  Australian packages being unloaded
in Missouri tonight and second load arriving tomorrow. Look for my pictures
& comments in the May American Bee Journal "Australian package" article part
2 along with my interviews with three commercial beekeepers which received
packages on the first import.

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