List is empty in Update

So I have a list that I add objects to in another functions, and when I added the object the list count is correct. But when I loop through the list in the update it thinks the count is zero.

  #region Members

 //Array of all the particles
 public Transform[] particles;

 List<Transform> ap = new List<Transform>();

 public int count = 0;

 #endregion

 public void UpdateEmitting()
 {
     count = ap.Count;

     for (int i = ap.Count - 1; i >= 0; i--)
     {
         baseParticle bp = ap[i].GetComponent("baseParticle") as baseParticle;

         if (bp == null)
             Debug.LogError(" can't find baseParticle");
         else
         {

             bp.UpdateEmitting();

             bp.SetPosition();

             if (bp.dead)
             {
                 bp.StopEmitting();
                 ap.RemoveAt(i);
             }
         }
     }
 }

 /// <summary>
 /// Starts emitting particles
 /// </summary>
 /// <param name="name">Name of the emitter to start</param>
 /// <param name="t">The transform to emit particles from</param>
 public void StartEmitting(string name, Transform t)
 {
     foreach (Transform p in particles)
     {
         baseParticle bp = p.GetComponent("baseParticle") as baseParticle;
         if (bp != null)
         {
             if (bp.name == name)
             {
                 ap.Add((Transform)Instantiate(p, t.position, t.rotation));
                 bp.StartEmitting();

                 if (t != null)
                     bp.emitPosition = t;

                 Debug.Log("add count:" + active.Count);
                 return;
             }
         }
     }
     Debug.Log("No emitter found");
 }

 public void StartEmitting(string name, Vector3 pos, Quaternion rot)
 {
     foreach (Transform p in particles)
     {
         baseParticle bp = p.GetComponent("baseParticle") as baseParticle;
         if (bp != null)
         {
             if (bp.name == name)
             {
                 ap.Add((Transform)Instantiate(p, pos, rot));
                 bp.StartEmitting();
                 bp.SetPosition(pos, rot);
                 bp.emitPosition = null;
                 return;
             }
         }
     }
     Debug.Log("No emitter found");
 }

 /// <summary>
 /// Stop emitting particles
 /// </summary>
 /// <param name="name">Name of the particle to stop emitting</param>
 public void StopEmitting(string name)
 {
     for (int i = ap.Count - 1; i >= 0; i--)
     {
         baseParticle bp = ap[i].GetComponent("baseParticle") as baseParticle;

         if (name == bp.name)
         {
             bp.StopEmitting();
             ap.RemoveAt(i);
         }
     }
 }