Some History

> During the Spring of 2002, numerous Alabama beekeepers experienced an
inexplicable bee colony die-off. There was no obvious cause - even after
USDA analysis. An old diagnosis was called up - The Disappearing Disease of
Honey Bees.

> The condition was first described in 1915 and was called Disappearing
Disease because the disease was self-limiting and disappeared. Through the
years, that name has increasingly been broadened to describe any mysterious
instance where adult bees disappear - not the disease. 

> Other possible names for the ailment are: Spring Dwindling, Fall
Dwindling, May Disease, and Autumn Collapse. The Isle of Wight Disease,
caused by tracheal mites, has many similarities to Disappearing Disease. The
reported symptoms are broad and indistinct appearing to be a collage of
characteristics.

Characteristics of Disappearing Disease

Adult bee loss with no accumulation at the hive entrance.
Adult bee loss after a cool damp Spring - though losses have also been
reported in the Summer and Autumn.
Queens are the last hive individuals to be affected.
Pollen and honey stores are strangely normal.
A disproportionate brood/adult bee ratio.
Spotty outbreaks

> In 1985, Dr. Roger Morse wrote, 'It seems unlikely that any one cause
produces all the losses attributed to Disappearing Disease.'

From: BEE CULTURE'S BEEYARD
by: James E. Tew
http://www.orsba.org/htdocs/download/Dtew.htm

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