I thought the list might be interested in seeing what I think is some CCD video.

Last February Steven Haylestrom and myself of NOD Apiary Products went to take a look at the 
situation being reported of dwindling colonies of bees going into almond bloom.  As well we were 
demonstrating the alcohol wash method of checking phoretic varroa loads, the new Bee Brief nuc 
box and how to apply Mite-Away, all tools for sustainable commercial beekeeping practices.    

When working with one of the beekeepers Steven took some video of the condition which came to 
be known as CCD.  It is available on youtube at:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=8wB-OQAcsWQ

You can see in the video that the beekeepers are trying to figure out what they are seeing. We saw 
hives with small populations of bees, unable to cover the brood area.  These colonies appeared to 
have had good populations just a few days prior, now gone.
There is no nectar coming out of the combs when they are shaken, yet strong hives set down just 
a few yards away are not touching feed (robbing) in the dead hives.  The hives being replaced were 
reported to have been good units just a couple of weeks before.  Some hives have the shotgun 
brood patterns classic of PMS, yet varroa mite loads were not that high.  No wax moth larvae were 
seen, just a mouse, even though wax moth is generally present at background levels, kept under 
control by the bees.  When colonies become as weak as the colonies we were seeing, the wax 
moth larvae can usually be readily seen, unconcerned about being harassed by the house bees, 
tracking their webbing across and through the brood comb.  What killed off the wax moth larva?   

I don’t want to fuel the debate of speculation, but seeing what some beekeepers were dealing with 
can be instructive and encourage our compassion.

David v.

 

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