In 2006/2007  and again in 2010 when I examined a large number of collapsed colonies - and for all of you who want to name it out of existence, it still hasn't been resolved and the unique attributes still appear, maybe not as widespread.  Whatever you want to call CCD, which I still believe is pathogenic, perhaps some virus that changes in virulence like human flu, we did see some DWV in many of the failed colonies.


Regardless, I know a large beekeeper, who despite my recommendations, poured packaged from Australia on top of the queen and remnant bee population on the same equipment on which the original colony had collapsed.  He then experienced a 50% recurrence, or re-collapse within a few weeks.


Lots of beekeepers told me that if they waited until the old pests like hive beetle and wax moth finally returned, they found it was safe to re-establish bees - no collapse.  Another set hundreds of boxes on end in the sun outside and reported that after a couple of weeks, bees could be restored.


Once again, I'll remind everyone that I had a colony collapse, put the equipment in an observation hive, re-stocked within a couple days of the collapse, and it grew fast, produced a 2nd queen, each queen stayed to her side of the comb.  About six weeks later, another collapse eventually taking out all but the queen and a few (easy to count) bees.


J.J. Bromenshenk


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