Hello All,

>I think Jerry B. has made it clear that CCD continues to
be a real and significant problem for an expanding list
of operations from tiny to huge, spread hither and yon
about the lower 48 states of the US,

Jerry said he had heard from two repeats from last year. So far I can't find
a single beekeeper claiming to have colonies dying from a CCD type problem.
I have been looking (calling around and spent a week on the road covering
around 1600 miles) .  Article in December ABJ.

I doubt Jerry & Jim have been looking as I have been. Waiting for the phone
to ring is not looking.

Either write an article with names and pictures or I will have to consider
this years CCD problems simply smoke with no fire!

Sorry but I do not believe this years CCD victims are not willing to take a
call from Bob Harrison concerning their die off. Free of charge (as I due
charge for diagnosis at times)! I will keep their names and information
private but I need for the beekeepers to be honest about their problem.

Send me a name or two?

Dead hives these days are all considered CCD and never beekeeper error.

I have seen virus problems in the bee yards of beekeepers for the last two
decades. Very rare before varroa but common after. Field diagnosis is
possible (despite what my friend Jim has said) but all our researchers do is
grab a few bees and head to the lab.

I have observed the symptoms of all the known virus found in the U.S.. I am
especially familiar with paralysis virus early and late symptoms. Virus
problems can be mistaken for a chemical kill but not so hard to tell apart
is you know what to look for.

Problems with CCD research:
What they call healthy hives had nosema and virus from the reports. Healthy?

Maybe healthier than! But certainly NOT healthy!

Why does the CCD researchers play down the fact KBV/ nosema  was found in
all
samples? KBV is a proven killer of honey bees. The USDA-ARS said for years
there was no KBV in the U.S. (until Denis Anderson came over and found KBV
every place he looked).

The latest information I have read says three strains of IAPV have been
found and it seems entered from at least three different ways. Also the U.S.
is not exactly like the Israel strain.

If you read the research of Bailey, Ball and Carrick ( and others) which I
have you quickly see virus is interesting but without the varroa issue of
minor concern to beekeepers as the only method to prevent problems (CCD ?)
is to keep varroa loads low. With today's varroa issue (with only soft
methods available such as miteaway two, apilife var and apiguard) then virus
issues will move towards the front line but prevention is the answer as
there is not another solution.


The REASON Bailey never got the attention he felt he deserved from
commercial beekeepers.

 On page 1110 of Hive and the Honey Bee (92 ed.) I
quote :
" Acute Bee Paralysis",according to Bailey, is a "laboratory phenomenon"

The point Bailey is trying to make in my opinion is that certain virus which
kill
bees in the lab do not kill bees in the field and many times are present in
most hives.

Which points to the simple fact that IAPV may not even harm bees. It may be
one of those viruses such as Black queen virus and bee virus B which are
ONLY present when Nosema is present (and nosema was present in all CCD
samples)

I have done many posts on BEE-L explaining the issue and what would happen
when varroa loads drop to a level virus becomes an issue. Search archives
with my name and virus. NOTHING has changed. My position is the same as the
late nineties.

>Note that I do not agree that we have sufficient evidence at
this point to even support a claim that anyone has found IAPV
itself anywhere except Israel.

Also that IAPV is nothing more than a mutant form of KBV which is widespread
in the U.S.

>Please also note that while the apparent intent of the authors
of the paper clearly was, as Bob noted, to "point the finger"
at Australia, the paper does stop short of making the specific
and overt accusation itself.

I disagree and if the wording had been. one reference to Australia as a
possible source which needs further research then I might agree. CNN said
the new virus was brought in by Australian Bees. The new virus WAS the cause
of CCD.
By the end of the day CNN was not running the story. Remember the poor
security guard which the news media ruined over the Atlanta bombings?

 <This does NOT mean that I disagree with the claims made
by the authors of the paper.

I disagree with a number of claims and dispute their conclusions (or
opinions, theories or hypothesis!) I accept their lab research.

>I said a long time ago that the overt symptoms of CCD
meant that this "just has to be a virus".

Virus problems always raise their head when varroa control is an issue (such
as the two documented apiary inspector reports on Dave Hackenbergs bees).

After a year os CCD research we are back tp the start with the same advice
for beekeepers we had last year. The only new information is in my December
article. Control varroa and you can reuse equipment!
.
Jim said:
>In other words, my problem with the paper is that it proves
nothing, and settles no relevant issue one way or the other,
and thereby loses any right to "make claims" or "draw conclusions".

I agree!

>Is Penn State "defending" something somewhere?

November ABJ (pg. 930-931)

Penn State is speaking about me on pg. 930
" Although the original Science Express research seemed to implicate
imported Australian package bees as  a possible cause, SINCE then others
have disputed the THEORY as being unsubstantiated". For example they have
cited prior importation's to Canada as not causing the same problem and that
no outbreaks of CCD have been reported in Australia"

Or I might add the many other places which have got varroa and have received
Australian bees.

I am also in the November ABJ  on page 953 in my "Bugg Baffler"  ( many have
asked about)center top photo next to Marla Spivak. Used to protect campers
from Mosquitoes for those on the list wondering what the netting looks like.
If you do not mind a few stings then try a "bugg baffler" . I have used for
years!

Sincerely,
Bob Harrison


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