Hello All,
Some short answers as need to leave office in a few minutes but enough to 
keep discussion going.
Ruary:
1000 mites! Wow that's a low threshold for a strong hive of 60,000 bees in 
August in our area.

P-O:
A well thought out post! 
I think you are right on about contaminated comb being a big part of the 
problem but no illegals were used in this beekeepers case.

The Boganshutz cutting down of brood comb could be a possibiltiy instead of 
comb rotation for those using plastic foundation. The machine can be set to 
take almost all the wax off. The drawback is the cost of the machine and 
used are hard to find. Also labor.

Mike & Randy:
I was told the radiation was to rid the comb of PMS and curlywing virus.
I do not know the type or dose of radiation.

Tim:
You ask the same questions the rest of us ponder.

 Virus is a new area. e best information I have had to go on has been from 
the virus researchers in the U.K..

I have been informed that Norman Carrick & Brenda Ball have been let go so 
the worlds virus research is in peril.

What I know from those emails is simple:

1. keep varroa under control and virus stays at low levels. As Ruary said 
1000 mites in the hive.

2. I now know beyound a shadow of a doubt that PMS comb will cause the 
virus to cause problems early in season. Has happened Every year with a 
friends hives.

3. I also believe that contaminated comb in combination with comb with a 
large amount of virus are worse than comb with only virus contamination.

The above are serious issues to the huge U.S. commercial beekeeping 
industry. Many beekeepers are in denial. many are dumping suspect comb on 
the new "gold in California beekeepers". 

The bright side is many large beekeepers have expanded number of hives to 
use in almonds and are noticing the hives with the new comb are doing much 
better than their hives with old problem comb. A picture is worth a 
thousand words!

Sincerely,
Bob Harrison
Missouri

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