[Pollinator] Follow Up Thoughts on the March 29 House Ag Subc Hearing on CCD & Honey Bees. Opportunity to submit comments for hearing record.

[R. Thomas Van Arsdall]

Overview--
While the focus of the testimony and questioning was on CCD and honey bees,
several witnesses, reinforced by some questions from Members, discussed the
importance of pollinators and ecosystem implications.  Dr. Berenbaum
especially had an excellent statement.  Paul Wenger, CA Farm Bureau VP also
expanded his comments to the larger role and importance of pollinators.  The
witness list is posted at
http://agriculture.house.gov/hearings/schedule.html.  Media interest and
coverage were excellent.  I thought the statements were thoughtful and
responsible.  We are trying to get electronic versions of other statements
and will endeavor to post those received on the www.pollinator.org web site.

Opportunity to Submit Comments for the Hearing Record--
Additional written comments will be accepted up to 10 days after the hearing
[Suggest April 6 to be on safe side, but probably still OK on April 9].  So
if you have any points or questions or information you'd like to add to the
record, you can e-mail same to the Subcommittee staff director, Keith Jones,
keith.jones at mail.house.gov.  Encourage you to 'cc' us.

Hill staff and USDA expressed appreciation for CoE/NAPPC's efforts,
including the statement filed and media and hill staff outreach.  Certainly
public awareness has been increased, not only about honey bees, but also
about pollinators.  Hopefully all collaborators are working to make
Pollinator Week a huge success across the nation.  CoE has been working with
key hill staff for some time to advance proposals to 'pollinate' the 2007
farm bill programs, and we are cautiously optimistic.  More on that soon.

Great Questions Raised by Chip Taylor--
Chip sent in the questions below after we circulated CoE statement.  We
forwarded same to the Subcommittee staff and to USDA, other key witnesses.
It was appreciated.  Thanks, Chip!  Wanted to share same with listserv to
further the excellent dialog that has been occurring via the listserv.

	Q-Is there any evidence that CCD is affecting wild honey bee
colonies? 
(This question may not have been addressed by researchers adequately but as
far as I can discern wild colonies are doing fine - especially in areas with
AHBs).

	Q-Is there any evidence that package bee producers and queen
breeders, specifically those who do not use their bees for crop pollination,
are suffering losses from CCD? (The queen breeders and package producers
have been remarkable silent through this entire episode.  They stand to
benefit from the bee losses but they should be screaming if affected by
CCD).

	Q-Is it true that the majority of beekeepers who don't use their
bees for crop pollination have not experienced CCD?

	Q-What is/are the relationship(s) between the patterns of treatments
for Varroa mites and CCD? Are beekeepers who don't treat for Varroa mites,
or only treat once a year, experiencing CCD?

	Q-Much of the evidence for CCD points to 1) contamination of combs
with toxins, 2) behavioral evidence  suggestive of high level of Varroa
mites in colonies, 3)  weakened immune systems and 4) stress associated with
migratory beekeeping and management issues. The situation is obviously
complex and the question is how might the beekeeping industry, the USDA and
independent scientists design an approach that will objectively sort out and
identify the causes of CCD?

	Q-Thirty years ago bees also disappeared in large numbers. At that
time the condition was known as "disappearing disease" and the UDSA and
several University scientists investigated this situation. Since many of the
symptoms appear to be shared between the earlier episode and the present
CCD, the question becomes what was learned from the previous bee losses that
applies to CCD. And/or in what way do the symptoms differ from the earlier
episode and, if there are differences, what is different today about the
beekeeping landscape chemically and biologically from that of thirty years
ago?


Bee Ready for National Pollinator Week, June 24-30, 2007! For more info:
www.pollinator.org 
 
R. Thomas (Tom) Van Arsdall, Public Affairs Representative for Coevolution
Institute/NAPPC
   Van Arsdall & Associates
   13605 McLane Place
   Fredericksburg, VA  22407-2344
   (540) 785-0949
   tom at vanarsdall.com