Sometimes answers are slow in coming. That doesn't mean once I have started to bite your leg I am going to stop. :evil:
This report, The Effects of Varoosis in North America – A Twelve Year Review has been a thorn in my side. It is heavily referenced. Malcolm Sanford mentions it several times in his a few of his reports.
http://apis.ifas.ufl.edu/threads/varroa.htmNot to mention a google search on Effects of Varoosis gives you loads to look at. However Google Scholar is rather bleak. My friend who works at the newspaper reasearch department managed to get in and try to find it through lexus nexus and a few other things. He came back with out the report but said it would come back as a report because it was a presentation.
In the meantime I have been emailing Dr. Tew calling his secratary and finally I got a response the other day.
Dear Mr. Horne,
Many years ago, I presented a Varroa synopsis at the Apimondia meeting in British Columbia. I probably did convert the presentation to a written paper, but I was unable to quickly find it on the web in either ABJ or Bee Culture. I have converted my Power Point program to a pdf file and have attached it for your review. Of course, this PP program was an outline for the verbal presentation that I gave - plus it was a short presentation. I still have my old computer at home and will check to see if anything is stored on it. Otherwise, my comments only may have been presented in verbal form. Sorry. I wish I could have more helpful.
jtewNow here is the problem. Dr. Tew did a nice presentation on Varroa and it's effects. That presentation has become the keystone to a lot of other reports, articles, and disertations.
I don't think this is his intent.
The original problem was Dr. Hayes saying that Varroa destroyed 99% Of feral hives in Florida.
This is where I am going to make my first leap. I have not seen, found or been able to locate one peer reviewed scientific report that backs that statement up. The highest I have found was a report for Northern California that reported 75% loss in a small area.
Since there is no definitive research on the damage to feral hives on a large scale. You can toss out almost any number you want out there.
Here is the problem the research does not exist in a large enough and comprehensive enough scale to make anything other than an assumption.
Here is what I feel needs to be looked at in order to assist. The amount of calls exterminators received to remove feral hives between 1987 and 1995. If that number dropped dramatically depending on which state you are in than you might have something to assist your claim. however you are now dealing with an economic situation and not a biological one. However that information along with some of the good research that exists out there would give a much better picture.
At this stage I will say this there is no clear evidence on a large scale as to how damaging Varroa was to feral hives. The impact may range from almost none to near total devastation. Simply put it is not known.
Sincerely,
Brendhan
PS. Stand by for more.
Also Jerry put his foot in it again with the latest issue and his Q&A section "The Classroom."
Cindi, now do understand why I want to teach the masters program?