>>good post -- but -- Easier said than done with a foot of snow
And I would look for what? glow in dark pollen? lack of bees?

I doubt you will see glowing pollen...  I'd check the following:

1. number of frames covered by bees 
2. amount of honey and pollen
3. presence and size of brood area
4. stick your ear next to the cluster and see if you can discern a 'happy' murmer from the bees or hissing, sharp and not so content
5. do the bees tend to scatter or stick together when the hive is opened and inspected
6. is the hive wet or dry
7. does it smell 'nice' (if you can't measure the temperature, remember that there will be a subtle change in the scent the hive gives off after brood rearing temperatures are established in the clusters)
 
There is a lot you can learn if you take the time/care to look and think about what you are looking at.  If things don't apear obvious, draw preliminary conclusions and question them in order to clarify the picture.  

I don't see how you have many alternative tools - other than direct inspection - for diagnosing the condition of your hives.  And I don't know of any off-the-shelf test kits for ccd.

I you don't have a good possibility to open up any hives, heft the hives (both the dead ones and the live ones)?  What differences, if any, do you see?

What extacly did you find in the dead-outs?  Where they wet, dry?

Remember you are a detective looking for plausible clues.  A detective's work often is not easy and you will often start out on a wrong path.  Go back often, question (ask the 5 whys until you are sick of it), and check & verify.

>>many indicators, but the clincher is
the effect of dead-out boxes on wax moth & ants
ccd is deadly to ants

Did you actually see dead ants and what time of year was this?

>>I've never seen so many bees leave, 
so consistently at such low temperatures
So much so that the birds consider it a feeder
(again, NOT excessive #s I hope
odd that they chose to die outside)

This is an interesting observation, should you really have ccd, as birds do not appear to succumb to ccd...

>>But if there is no interest I'll shut-up
After all its no worse than the 
ag departments are doing

I hope you aspire do to better than some governmental agency.

Waldemar

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