Interesting breakout on honey bee colony losses

[guardian]

http://www.earthfiles.com/news.php?ID=1706&category=Environment

Updated: May 5, 2010 Gainesville, Florida - On April 22, 2010, the Apiary Inspectors of America (AIA) and the U. S. Department of Agriculture ARS Honey Bee Lab in Beltsville, Maryland, reported, “Preliminary Results: Honey Bee Colonies Losses in the U. S., Winter 2009-2010.”

Back in the winter of 2006-2007, Pennsylvania commercial beekeeper Dave Hackenberg reported a 60% loss of his honey bees and he meant gone - no bees at all in most of his colonies. That began the first scientific investigation of what came to be known around the world as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Where did the bees go? Why didn't the bees return to their hives? After five years of serious research, apiary specialists still don't have a final answer to those questions. But the new AIA survey shows that honey bees are under assault from a wide range of problems beyond CCD.

“Responding beekeepers (to the AIA survey) attributed their losses to:

- Starvation 32%
- Weather 29%
- Weak fall colonies 14%
- Varroa and other mites 12%
- Poor queens 10%
- CCD 5%

[peacebird]

1. those numbers are just the tip of the iceberg in that article.... some report needing to replace 75%

over the course of a year...
We have increased to three hives this spring, and do not use any chemicals in them or on our property. Our original hive made it through the winter with a nice strong colony of bees and a productive queen. We let them swarm and wish the split well, some may manage to establish feral colonies I hope.

[notesdev]

2. No mention of HFCS?

They started feeding bees the stuff not long ago... and soon after we get CCD.

2+2=?

[guardian]

3. I'm guessing this study didn't find it a significant factor. n/t

[notesdev]

4. Or...

maybe it was no-go territory once the USDA got involved.

[zbiker]

5. or just maybe

the independant scientific results plainly show that hfcs is not at fault period.
look, as much as folks want to blame every man made product on the planet and claim that 30 to 35 percent loss in a year is above average are simply making wild claims in the dark about something they have very little knowledge about.those that experience losses in the 60% and above failure rate with their hives have to blame someone or something, as long as it is not themselves or their bee keeping practices.
if hfcs were at fault, then why is ccd being experienced in hives that don't feed it ??
why are the majority of the higher losses being experienced by the migratory hives that are used for rotation pollination???
why are the mite load counts in hives that are showing the signs of pathogen infestation also displaying the single most symptoms of ccd ??

and speaking of pathogens
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2009/090812.htm

these "shock" articles are the best example of yellow journalism on the planet, heck they even twisted a young undergrads college study around to claim that cell phones were to blame for ccd (common sense should have prevailed on that one)
the plain truth of the matter is that no one can simply point their finger at a single cause for ccd,and to claim that records dating back to the late 1800's showing that natural losses in and around 30% are not only normal, but to be expected. thru proper management practices and proper diet beekeeping can still be a money making venture.
just because you have done things this way for years does not mean it was right. it just means the final results are catching up with you now.