Kathy Kellison <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>does anyone have any evidence whether feral colonies
>of EHB suffered from CCD?

Hello Kathy,

The consensus is that the CCD decline is occurring in commercial 
beekeeping operations not organic or wild colonies, as mentioned in July-
Aug issue of Science & Sprit, and from several other sources over the past 
several months.

===
http://www.science-spirit.org/newdirections.php?article_id=717

“…The reports of decline come mostly from commercial beekeepers, not 
organic or wild colonies, and experts suspect the mechanism killing the 
bees is not natural, thus implicating pesticide overuse….” 
===

I myself do not buy into the CCD phenomenon.  Die offs have been occurring 
for many years, and IMO ccd is simply a ‘compounding stress’ problem that 
includes a toppling stress, usually weather related.  You place too many 
stress burdens on a colony and they will topple sooner or later.  These 
stresses can vary a great deal from area to area but one of the 
similarities is they all have a toppling stress, usually weather related.  
IMO, nature does this every so often to weed out the unfit that have been 
propped up for so long.  

IMO, the weakening of the immune system by compounding stresses is 
potentially allowing viruses, bacteria, disease and parasites to reach 
harmful levels.  Perhaps, efforts being spent identifying ‘symptoms’ as 
the cause to blame while the culprit of underlying stresses escape blame. 

Incidentally, my bees are all from feral sources and no treatments are 
used on them, and no “CCD” symptoms.

Joe Waggle ~ Derry, PA ‘Bees Gone Wild Apiaries' 
FeralBeeProject.com 
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/HoneybeeArticles

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