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In reply to the discussion: U.S. Beekeepers Lost 23% of Colonies Last Winter; Scientists Recommend Treating Bees for Varroa Mite [View all]Damansarajaya
(625 posts)13. Whoa. The preconception is all yours.
I have raised bees at various times in my life, so I have some personal experience to draw on.
One of the articles above said that CCD goes back to the 19th Century, which if true, would tend to show insecticides are not to blame. (on edit) However, this USDA document claims that CCD is a new phenomenon: http://www.usda.gov/documents/ReportHoneyBeeHealth.pdf.
Also, there's a new Eastern strain of Nosema which is apparently much more virulent than the Western strain.
So I agree that it's complicated. However, I also believe in Ockham's Razor, as you no doubt do too: and to me the simplest explanation is that when the massive outbreaks followed the new class of insecticides and BT corn, it was probably the insecticides and BT corn.
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U.S. Beekeepers Lost 23% of Colonies Last Winter; Scientists Recommend Treating Bees for Varroa Mite [View all]
HuckleB
May 2014
OP
Europe is a mighty big place, with many entities that disagree with one another.
HuckleB
May 2014
#2
Actually, your posts make it clear that you're the one with the preconceptions,
HuckleB
May 2014
#14
Pretending that's all I've got, when you've offered nothing but denialism is just silliness.
HuckleB
May 2014
#21
I don't think it's "smoking" per se, but rather chemical strips left in the hives
hatrack
May 2014
#56
This is incidental info, but urban colonies seem to do better then commercial hives.
denbot
May 2014
#17
Again, the links in post 36 and 37 reference and critique the same poorly done study linked to
hedgehog
May 2014
#40
If you had looked at my other posts, you would know that I do not see it that way.
HuckleB
May 2014
#46