CCD and Organic Beekeeping

[watercarving]

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_5679.cfm

Don't know if there is any truth to this. I'm really curious though what the thoughts and experiences are out there.

[MrILoveTheAnts]

I want to say genetic diversity also plays a roll. After you've killed off 90% of your queens and replaced them with queens from the remaining 10% a few times the gene pool tends to be incredibly shallow. This is actually happening with Tasmanian Devils which are frequently hunted. Thanks to the animals tendency to bit other T. Devils faces for dominance, facial tumors and forms of cancer have become contagious. The cancerous cells fall into a new host with virtually the same DNA and take root.

[Michael Bush]

I've heard Marla Spivak and Marion Ellis mention this as probably part of the problem.  I think the Scientists would agree that a loss of genetic diversity is probably contributing to the CCD problem.  I know those two do.

[TwT]

From what I understand about most commercial pollinators is that they buy most of their queens from the same people everyone else does, I am sure some raise some but time is money to most and if they can buy 100-1000 queens for $10-11 bucks each (or packages cheaper buying by bulk) would be faster than taking time to raise their own plus the hive would pay for itself. and on the topic of organic, if they ask a organic beekeeper to share their opinion about CCD of course they will back and talk about how much organic is better ( just my opinion ) , some say I am organic but by the organic rules I probably am not, I don't treat my hives with anything but on bad years I will feed sugar syrup  to help them out because I do harvest honey from my hives and if my hives are short on stores its probably my fault, guest them organic people don't rob their hives as much as I do, again just my opinion...... but it is something that most loses are from commercial pollinators but why not all commercial pollinators, maybe it is just certain crop being pollinated and not all pollinator work that crop???????  :?  ;) :evil: