Scientists find clue in mystery of the vanishing bees (CNN)

[eppur_se_muova]

{This largely duplicates the post from yesterday, but I hadn't seen such emphasis on the Australian comparison before.}

(CNN) -- A virus found in healthy Australian honey bees may be playing a role in the collapse of honey bee colonies across the United States, researchers reported Thursday.
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Signs of colony collapse disorder were first reported in the United States in 2004, the same year American beekeepers started importing bees from Australia.
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Although worker bees in colony collapse disorder vanish, bees infected with IAPV die close to the hive, after developing shivering wings and paralysis. For some reason, the Australian bees seem to be resistant to IAPV and do not come down with symptoms.
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"There are no cases ... in Australia at all," entomologist Dave Britton of the Australian Museum told the Sydney Morning Herald last month. "It is a Northern Hemisphere phenomenon."
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Researchers also say varroa mites affect all hives on the U.S. mainland but are not found in Australia.
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more: http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/09/06/bee.disorder/index.html

[RaleighNCDUer]

1. So the mite compromise their immuse systems making them

vulnerable to the otherwise harmles Australian virus?

We could test that theory by importing the mites to Australia - if their hives crash, we were right!

[soothsayer]

2. I thought it was the jews? (see yesterday's story)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2980768