Ted Fischer wrote in reply to may earlier post:
 
     "Mark, just a couple questions about this hive.  Does it have
     adequate stores of honey normal for your area at this time of
     the year?  Has the hive population rather abruptly declined,
     rather than having been weak all year or in gradual decline?
     If the answer to both is "yes", I would suspect varroa rather
     than AFB, if "no" AFB is likely.  AFB also should show
     perforated, widely dispersed brood cells, often present in
     frames away from the present cluster.  AFB should in addition
     how ropiness except in quite old capped cells, which is not
     present in the mite vectored diseases which ape it. "
 
     Ted, et. al.
     This hive does not have what I consider adequate stores for
     this time of the year.  However, the hive population has rather
     abruptly declined.  This hive was a hive strong enough in the
     spring that it was my major producer of comb honey.  It
     produced one square section super and one round section super
     as well as parts of two other supers.  It has only been since
     mid to late August that this hive has started its decline. So
     the answer to your questions is both "Yes" and "No"
     respectively.
 
     To deal with varroa, 4 Apistan strips were placed in the hive
     at the same time as the rest of the apiary about 4 weeks ago.
     I have not done ether roll test in the hive yet but pulled
     drone comb was clean (about 25 drone brood pulled).  Although I
     have fed them Spearmint laced syrup they have only consumed
     about a pint (whereas its sisters have consumed three quarts
     each)
 
     The brood is not what I would call "widely dispersed".  It is
     in an area about 6 to 8 inches in diameter.  However within
     that sphere the pattern is not concentric and solid but with
     open cells scattered liberaly within the sphere.  Eggs observed
     yesterday were standing straight up and had not leaned yet.
     The queen was not observed.
 
     The hive consists of two deep hive bodies topped with a 6 5/8"
     super to act as a food chamber for the winter. (The southern
     Ohio area I live in recommends 60lbs for a normal winter i.e.
     two deep hive bodies but I like to play it safe.)  The brood is
     in the upper deep hive body.  Of the lower 10 frames, 5 have a
     smattering of nectar (or sugar syrup for feed has been on them
     for 2 weeks).  The rest is empty except for LOTS of pollen.  In
     the upper deep, honey and nectar surrounds the brood sphere
     about 2 to 3" out from the sphere.  The medium super on top is
     about 50% full of nectar/syrup.  Bees cover about 4 frames in
     the top deep body and 2 or three in the bottom deep.  Only a
     few workers are in the medium super.
 
     One telling point is that the bees...how should I describe
     it.... seem...well, lost.  They have not cleaned out a grease
     patty placed on the hive in early August and not touched the
     Terrapattie placed 2 weeks ago.  Opening the hive is like
     opening the door to my 14 year old son's room.  I don't "feel"
     a sense of order.  I feel a sense of "What do we do next?"
     (How's that for placing human emotions and motives to bugs?
     Sorry.)  They are active in fighting off invaders.  It should
     be noted that of the 6 hives at this location  it is the only
     one being bothered by yellow jacket and bald faced hornets.
 
     I can think of nothing else of possible use to you
     diagnosticians out there.
 
     I, personally, feel that the hive is doomed and will not
     survive the winter.  The only issue to me is, do I combine it
     with another or let it die or kill it.  I am leaning toward
     killing it and removing it from the apiary just in case.
 
     More of your thoughts would be welcome.
 
     Mark Egloff
     Dayton, Ohio