Is there an authoritative definition/set of characteristics of CCD available anywhere?   
 
I've read the older thread titled "CCD-Defining CCD" from 2010, which pointed towards MAAREC's website and the CCD working group, but the specific pages linked to do not seem to be there anymore. 
 
Every year we hear from someone locally (New Zealand - it's a small country) whose buddy has just lost a hive to CCD.  Typically the beekeeper only had one hive to start with, and they are in their first few years of beekeeping.   The basis of the diagnosis seems to be 'my hive died and it can't have been my fault - has to be CCD'.    To the best of my knowledge we have not yet had a confirmed case of CCD here in NZ. 
 
Am in the process of writing a newsletter piece to address this and a definitive source to refer to would be useful. 
 
Failing that, is it accurate to say that CCD is characterised by:  
 
the presence of a live queen.
the presence of a small number (less than a handful) of young live workers.
the presence of capped brood
the presence of bee bread/honey food stores in the hive. 
the absence of live or dead older house and forager bees.
that in cases where a hive has died out, there is noticably delayed invasion by other robbing bees/ants/wax moth (by a number of weeks/months?)
 
that a single completely dead hive cannot be said to have died of CCD, as the first five characteristics cannot be observed.
 
that an apiary affected by CCD may include dead hives that cannot demonstrate the first five characteristics, but must also include hives that do. 
 
Have I got the characteristics correct?  Have I missed any?
 
regards
Deanna Corbett
Hawke's Bay, New Zealand

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