I've been at meetings on CCD and ARS planning in Florida.  Sorry about  a 
short message in response to George's loss and some subsequent  confusion.  
Please let me clarify.
 
The latest hypothesis being circulated among beekeepers is that CCD is  
because of a failure of one or more of the pollen substitutes - based on  the 
observation that bees won't take/consume the material.  
 
One of the first symptoms that we noticed was that once the disorder seems  
to start to play out - the bees won't take ANY feed - syrup, pollen sub,  etc.  
Its like you or I when we have stomach flu - the bees don't  want, won't take 
any food.
 
We've seen CCD in hives with 30-40 pounds of honey, pollen stores,  etc.
 
What I meant by my statement that it may not be the pollen sub, but it may  
be your old equipment is this -- in several CCD cases that we've  examined, 
when beekeepers combined or stacked good bees on CCD boxes/frames --  all of the 
bees collapsed.  In a few cases, or if the boxes have been open  to the air 
for several weeks, the bees appeared to be ok. So by old equipment, I  didn't 
mean to imply poor equipment, I meant combs from CCD hives.
 
Jerry
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