Hello John & All,
Thanks for the post. If you see an opposite opinion from me jump right in
for an explanation.

> I have always assumed that any CCD researchers comments  about lack of
> robbing have been made in the context of the above observations.
>
Bees will jump on deadouts at times and other times leave alone. Not6
unusual and especially at the time of the first CCD.

I find deadouts each season which should have been robbed out which are not
and deadouts which should be full of moths which are not.

My Florida friends and I are surprised SHB did not jump on Dave hackenbergs
CCD hives. Our thoughts were because those hives came from the north
(possibly without SHB) might be the reason. Claimed in Florida CCD by on
location (non Migratory beeks) were reported as bearing CCD symptoms and
slimed.

All I am saying is many of us always found the no robbing requirement to be
suspicious.

Like I said from the start to be able to get funding the problem needs to be
NEW. Deadouts not being robbed fits the requirement. Hell a first in
recorded beekeeping history. Many which claimed CCD did have the deadouts
robbed out. Some say no.

My talking to CCD victims ( beekeepers) found some saw no robbing which
others reported robbing.

Why has the CCD team never been able to tell us why there was no robbing.
When I asked for a robbing test I was told that after a few days to a week
the bees will then rob so no way to test.
Millions of dollars tossed at the problem and no answer as to why the bees
will (in their opinion) not rob a CCD deadout.

As to you thinking Ernie's bees are CCD .

His hive is classic dwindling.

Not a strong hive with 7-8 frames of brood and two weeks later all is left
is the brood and a couple hundred bees and a queen. I spoke with both Lance
Sundberg and Dave Hackenberg after both were some of the first to report
CCD. Neither one when asking my opinion even spoke of the other bees not
robbing but only about the hives busting and then crashing in so short of a
period.( less than two weeks)

I listened carefully and replied honestly that the only thing I ever saw
which could cause such a finding would be a pesticide kill where the bees
could not return to the hive.

The CCD symptoms has always fit a pesticide kill in which the bees die away
from the hive. No researcher has never denied this but has always tried to
point away from pesticides.

Why?

Because there is not funding available for pesticide kill research!

bob

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