In light of this conversation I'd love your input on this article re current research findings. It seems to indicate that colonies are weakened by chem load and then more susceptible to pathogens when exposed. 
I am also specifically interested in any insights you might have as to chems that enter waterways through runoff ( puddles include :) ) and connections you might know of to aquatic species exhibiting reactions to similar chems/loads 
Thanks! Andrea
http://qz.com/107970/scientists-discover-whats-killing-the-bees-and-its-worse-than-you-thought/?oref=dbamerica

Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 25, 2013, at 8:20 PM, randy oliver <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Pete,
> I agree with Jerry--the sudden depopulation of hives in "CCD" (which I
> prefer to call "sudden colony depopulation" has different symptoms than a
> varroa/DWV collapse, although in both cases, the colony winds up
> depopulated.
> 
> Bob is correct in that something changed about 9 years ago.
> 
> However, as far as the "aimlessness" that you question about, it appears to
> me that some portion of the exiting bees apparently drift to closely
> adjacent hives, in the process transmitting the pathogen(s) responsible for
> the disease.  In virtually all my field trials, colony mortality occurs in
> a clumped distribution.  One hive starts to go, and then the hive on either
> side or behind, and so on.
> 
> This of course would not be due to pesticide exposure (not that pesticide
> exposure is not a contributing factor in many losses), but is apparently
> due to one or more transmissible pathogens.  I will be writing about this
> in more detail soon in ABJ.
> 
> 
> -- 
> Randy Oliver
> Grass Valley, CA
> www.ScientificBeekeeping.com
> 
>             ***********************************************
> The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
> LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
> http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html