Allen said:
 
Plainly, this one symptom, we are told, is the only unique marker and the  
sine qua non -- except, apparently, when it isn't.  Sure sounds like  
doubletalk.
 
I refer you to the description of CCD that we published in Bee Culture -  
maybe Kim will make it available to those on the list who do not  subscribe.
 
We've followed CCD colonies for up to 2 years.  There are changes that  
occur with time of year - which we discussed.  Whether you call it double  talk 
or not, its our honest description of what we see.
 
There are lots of things that change seasonally within honey bee colony  
populations.  For example, our observations indicate that CCD in the  summer 
is characterized by colonies that beekeepers say 'fail to grow'.   Our bee 
counters indicate that it is NOT a failure of the colony to 'grow' but  rather 
a loss rate of foragers that increases, so that the queen lays, but  the 
population loses too many bees on a day to day basis to grow.  
 
Now, in the fall, winter - queens shut down or in warmer climates, reduce  
egg-laying. That's when the forager loss begins to take out the population - 
 loss rate exceeds queen's egg-laying.
 
Finally, our counters indicate that the bee losses pulsate - cyclic -  
periods when loss is relatively low, then a sudden drop, then another run of  
lesser losses, another wave of sudden losses.   We're working on a  note about 
this.
 
Jerry
 
P.S.  Allen, this disorder does not look like anything you've ever  seen - 
was new to me; and if I hadn't seen hundreds of colonies all across the  
U.S. doing the same thing, then got it in my colonies in MT and watched it for  
two years - including an observation hive with CCD, I'd have been just as  
skeptical.
 
 

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