>The title of this post is "absconds"

Respectfully, -I'm not concerned what the title
says.  The discussion is investigatory in
nature, -The title would have to have had
changed tree times in the last three letters
if we were to strictly follow list protocol.

Also.  The first rule I follow -as well as teach
all newbees is never to fall in love with 
a diagnosis, especially the first diagnosis. 

>Absconding, on the surface, has nothing to do with bees dieing out

I agree, but it has not been determined to 
my satisfaction that the colonies in question 
have in fact absconded.  If you come across
a colony with no bees, this does not necessarily
dictate an absconding took place.

The poster states:
>And these absconds have been "typical" of cool weather ccd

IMO, the diagnosis of CCD has often been 'made to 
fit the symptoms', and many of the symptoms are
ambiguous in nature, so I am always skeptical of CCD
claims OR any other diagnosis which is based solely 
on few symptoms, especially few ambiguous symptoms.

The poster also states:
>If I had been there to treat them then I might have been able
to make a difference.

This comment suggests the poster suspects
mites perhaps, or some other treatable milady, 
I am unaware that a treatment for CCD exists,
so the comment suggests there are other 
contributors to the colonies demise.

The poster also states:
>I also thought the speed of the one collapse was noteworthy

Mike, Here, the poster calls it a collapse and
not an absconding. 

The term absconding, in bees is defined
by the movement of a majority of the colony,
with queen, to a new place. in an attempt to 
start a new colony.  The bees would typically
gorge with honey first, and the exodus would 
have to occur over several minute period
to insure the chance of survival, (staying united 
as a single working unit).

A colony that abandons the nest
in mass exodus, over a longer period of
time,  would risk the successful formation
of working colony with queen, and
therefore would not be an abscond, but 
might be better characterized as a rapid 
dwindling.  

A majority of bees with queen
leaving the colony over a single a day may 
fail to stay united, -under the terminology
given by Hepburn & Radloff for example,
-among others, it could not be described 
as an abscond.

The poster states: 4 months time elapsed
between the time the colonies were strong
to the period when the colonies declined.
and that... 

>There was some robbing

It is within reason to suspect that the surplus
gathered was left from the early flow, and 
the decline well on its way by September.
Robbing is often a symptom of a colony
in the process of declining, so this suggests
a decline well on its way in September and 
rapid dwindling and total colony failure occurring
in November,  and IMO, sheds doubt on
a CCD diagnosis.

Best Wishes,
J. Waggle


 

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