Hi all
It's been more than ten years since the first reports of the unexplained losses which were given the name CCD. This article has been unearthed before but still makes interesting reading (these are excerpts, not the whole article)

DURING RECENT winters beekeepers
in some parts of California have
been puzzled by what appears to be a
rather rapid disappearance of bees from
their hive s. Strong colonies , heavy with
hone y and pollen, apparently at their
prime for overwintering, suddenly start
to decline for no apparent reason during
autumn, and collapse within six weeks.
The disorder is now officially known as
"Autumn Collapse" but has also been
called "disappearing disease " because
no sick or dead bees could be found m
failing colonies. The disorder has caused
loss of up to 90 per cent of the colonies
in affected apiaries. Similar losses have
occurred in parts of Louisiana, Texas,
Alabama and New Mexico.

The disorder was first noticed during
the winter of 1961-62 when affected
colonies were found at a number of
locations in the Sacramento Valley, including
research colonies at UC Davis.
Similar losses occurred in USDA research
colonies at LSU, Baton Rouge,
Louisiana . The disorder has recurred
in some apiaries and in certain location s;
but occasional apiaries remain normal
in areas where most apiaries are severely
affected. California beekeepers lost
an estimated 10,000 colonies to Autumn
Collapse last winter (1964-65) .

Honeydew has been suspected as a
possible cause of Autumn Collapse in
California. The most severely affected
apiaries are in honeydew areas. The
disorder occurs at the time bees begin
visiting oak trees for honeydew. A
number of disorders are attributed to
various honeydews (i.e., Black Forest
disease , honeydew paralysis, honeydew
poisoning, dysentery). California beekeepers
have difficulty wintering bees
on honeydew honey from incense cedar
and fir, but oak honeydew has never
present ed a problem and Autumn Collapse
does not occur in all areas where
oak honeydew is collected . There is a
possibility that another source of honeydew
exists in these areas where Autumn
Collapse occurs.

H. LEN FOOTE
Supervisor of Apiary Inspection
Calif. Dept. of Agric.
Sacramento, Calif.

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