Hi Bob:
>Who's going to pay for these IAPV tests?
The Army's IVDS machine is ready.  They will pick up the bill, and can 
perform multiple tests quickly.
Without data on the distribution of the various viruses, and correlations 
with CCD, we are forced to make management decisions blindly.
I like to make my decisions based upon good data.

> Only if the virus kills bees when not in the presence of a high varroa 
> load
> in my opinion. Is the virus more dangerous that KBV?
Bob, we still don't know if IAPV or KBV is doing the killing, if either. 
Only more testing will tell.
Colonies with very low mite levels apparently collapsed from CCD.  So that 
should answer your question.
Beekeepers are already questioning whether we should cut off Aussie imports. 
Only testing will tell us if there is a scientific justification.

>We will never know if  IAPV had any effect on CCD.
That's a self-fulfilling prophecy if we don't get more data!

The means are available for confirming or discounting the IAPV connection to 
CCD.
I'm damn curious to find out what is causing CCD.  I know that you have made 
up your mind that it is pesticides, or was that mites? : )
There are currently colonies apparently collapsing from CCD as we speak.  I 
suggest that we try to figure out what the cause is.
The IAPV hypothesis is intriguing, but the authors make clear that they do 
not feel that they have solved the mystery.

Randy Oliver

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