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Author Topic: New Australian studies  (Read 4299 times)

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Offline Mosti

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New Australian studies
« on: August 25, 2015, 07:26:37 am »
Tiny trackers could help solve global bee death mystery - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-34048495
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Offline lazy shooter

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Re: New Australian studies
« Reply #1 on: August 25, 2015, 08:08:22 am »
I didn't realize that there were no varroa mites in Australia.  If they have CCD and zero varroa mites, does that tell a tale?
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Offline apisbees

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Re: New Australian studies
« Reply #2 on: August 25, 2015, 12:36:12 pm »
no mites but the small hive beetles came from South Africa to Australia and to the US on bee shipments.
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Honey Judge, Beekeeping Display Coordinator, Armstrong Fair and Rodeo.

Offline lazy shooter

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Re: New Australian studies
« Reply #3 on: August 25, 2015, 02:44:57 pm »
Quote from: apisbees on August 25, 2015, 12:36:12 pm
no mites but the small hive beetles came from South Africa to Australia and to the US on bee shipments.

Apis, your knowledge of bees never ceases to amaze me.  Is there anything you don't know about bees?  I was surprised to find that without mites the Aussies still suffer from CCD.  That implies that the mites may add to CCD, but they are not the root cause.  I have  heard many beekeepers state that mites caused CCD.


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Offline apisbees

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Re: New Australian studies
« Reply #4 on: August 26, 2015, 03:58:03 am »
Virus cause CCD. Mites, stress, weakened immune system, pathogens in the bees can all lead to viruses showing up in the bees. Pesticides, fungicides and herbicides in my opinion all contribute to a weakened immune system. We also have to keep in mind that a large percentage of the commercial Australia bee colonies are being used to produce queens and packages for the northern hemisphere. the timing of this so that the package bees and queens arrive when it is convenient for us would be the equivalent of us trying to produce packages and queens towards the end of August and in to September, and then get the hive in shape to over winter. If this doesn't cause the bees major stress also.
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Honey Judge, Beekeeping Display Coordinator, Armstrong Fair and Rodeo.

Offline tecumseh

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Re: New Australian studies
« Reply #5 on: September 02, 2015, 04:50:34 am »
I would agree with Apis take but I should remind everyone that prior to the ccd event (now renamed 3 times) we did not think nosema c was here in the US but now we know that it has been here for quite some time.  if you do read the classic description of nosema (of the a. or c. variety) you may realize just how close the description comes to the casual/loose description of ccd.  as something of a correction (from apisbees prior comments) here in the US the small hive beetle is presumed to have gotten here on container ship coming into Florida and Georgia and as far as I know there were no Aussie packages delivered in either place.    futhermore I am guessing apisbees prior comment concerning how the small hive beetle came to BC and not the US.
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Offline tecumseh

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Re: New Australian studies
« Reply #6 on: September 11, 2015, 06:24:47 am »
it is also my understanding that beekeepers in Australia do not feed high fructose corn syrup.  this seems to be primarily due to the fact that there is no government program for corn production so the price of the two alternative feed is about the same and anyone who has fed both options knows fairly well that one is a much superior bee feed to the other.
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