Rury Rudd writes:

“I first found varroa in my colonies when the nearest reported incidence 
was over 50 miles away! If you allowed for natural transmission the rate of 
spread would be no more than 6 miles per year.”

Rury, The exact axiom that you are trying to show here is not exactly clear 
to me.  If it is that moving bees results in moving their pathogens, then 
yes that is obvious.  Could you describe what you mean by “natural 
transmission rate” and how you arrived at 6 miles per year for that?  
Certainly we know that even if we stop moving bees, bees will not stop 
moving.  How long did it take for the varroa you found in your colonies to 
travel the 50 miles?   Or did those varroa come from a source much further 
away by unnatural means?  Does anyone have the figures for how fast AHB has 
expanded its territory since its introduction?

Steve Noble

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