> Could this be happening a lot right before our eyes and only noticed in  the most extreme cases of disease or poisoning?
> Altruistic self-removal of health-compromised honey bee workers from their hive 

I have considered this a plausible, even very likely occurrence, since I first read Jasna Kralj's work over ten years ago:

> Though we cannot conclude whether the behavioural changes in this study are more beneficial to the parasite or to the host, the cost-benefit ratio in honey bees infested by V. destructor would presumably be in favour of suicidal behaviour.

Kralj, Jasna, and Stefan Fuchs. "Parasitic Varroa destructor mites influence flight duration and homing ability of infested Apis mellifera foragers." Apidologie 37.5 (2006): 577.

PLB

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