UBKA Conference

[Jon]

This year's event (http://www.ubka.org/events%20pdfs/booking%20form%20VERSION%202.pdf) has a big focus on Bee Health.

Some good speakers lined up, Robert Paxton, Norman Carreck and others.

Heading off shortly, will report back later.

[Jon]

Some interesting reports from the conference.
Robert Paxton reported on a European Nosema survey.
Volunteers take samples of 100 bees on a monthly basis and forward them to the research team.
In some places such as Sweden and Norway Nosema was detected in 100% of colonies sampled yet these colonies were not showing problems.
Nosema Ceranae is now widespread over Europe but there is no evidence that it is displacing Nosema Apis.
Many colonies had both nosemas.
It is easy to accurately distinguish between them by DNA testing.

He mentioned the work of a colleague Ingemar Fries several times.

https://bienenkunde.uni-hohenheim.de/uploads/media/Nosema_ceranae_in_European_honey_bees__Fries.PDF

[gavin]

Did he mention the apparent (loose) association between Nosema and CCD and the suggestion of some that Nosema plus A.N. Other (eg viruses) may be behind some of what folk have seen?

[Jon]

He mentioned the Mariano Higes work in Spain from a few years ago which seemed to be a promising link between nosema and CCD but has since proved to be a red herring.
If anything he drew attention to the fact that colonies could have nosema without having apparent problems. Colonies in N Europe seem to do better with nosema than colonies in S Europe.

PS. There was a contingent of Scottish beekeepers over for the conference. Didn't get talking to any of them.