> Bees thrive in a vast variety of habitats/environments 
> so how would you tell?

Lots of ways, some which can be objectively measured as "already changed" at
the present:

Milder winters result in more colonies flying useless sorties and eating
themselves out of house and home rather than forming clusters, and
conserving their winter stores.

Earlier springs mean that the bees don't build up soon enough and miss most
of their best nectar, and are starving in mid July.  This is not merely a
shift to a different equivalent USDA zone, the blooms are shifting earlier,
but the bees are still limited by weather too chilly at night for a large
brood patch.

Hotter climate in general burns up blooms more quickly, resulting in shorter
blooms.

Entire species no longer grow where they used to grow, for example, apples
are a doomed crop in NY State and points South, due to the future lack of
cold fall weather that makes for better fruit.  On the "upside", Florida
won't be the only Eastern state able to grown citrus fruit.  Problem is,
bees on citrus get nasty defensive.

Water sources dry up sooner in summer, and some number of feral colonies
suffer from a lack of reliable water.  Beekeepers may have to provide water
sources.

Dryer summers result in less productive fall blooms, or none at all.

Warmer or non-existent winters allow AHB genetics to spread further North in
the USA.

Worst of all, the "global ocean conveyor" shuts down, and the best-case
scenario turns the UK into a set for a remake of "Ice Station Zebra".  See 
http://bee-quick.com/reprints/chilling.pdf for a 2004 article I wrote
explaining this scenario.

Is any of this any part of "CCD"?  Only if we call it "Climate Clustercluck
Disaster"

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