In following the lists' discussions on CCD from afar (Western Australia, where there are no mites and no chems used in hives), it has been very hard to get a true picture of the real magnitude of this problem, and therefore difficult to make any useful input to the debate. But I will try nontheless.

There does seem to be a remarkable similarity between the symptoms of CCD and those associated with "Marie Celeste Syndrome" in the UK (see http://www.defra.gov.uk/hort/Bees/pdf/bees-meeting2005.pdf ).
 
Dave Cushman's website carries an extensive list of problems being experienced in the UK with queen matings and drones health and fitness as observed by Roger Patterson ( http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/rogerpatterson.html ).

He makes the point very clearly that these problems are abnormalities that every beekeeper raising numbers of queens  will observe over time, and accept as par for the course. What appears to be happening now is that their frequency is much increased, and that this change has occurred in such a subtle manner over time, that even many well experienced beekeepers have not appreciated the significance of the change until it is pointed out to them.
He also links these observations to "Marie Celeste Syndrome". Perhaps these are also early symptoms of CCD, which many beekeepers so far unnaffected by full blown CCD may recognise? 

For what it is worth, I raise many queens both for my own use and for sale, and have done for more years than I care to admit. I have never seen queens or drones such as those pictured in the Roger Patterson link except where they have hatched from cells that were physically damaged by wax moths. 

Also, another "usual suspect" in this debate has been the neonicotinoid pesticides which are in widespread use here in Australia, and have been for many years. Whilst I too view these with great suspicion because of their great potential for sub lethal effects on our colonies,  I personally have yet to observe any problems that I can associate with them. However, I do not work my bees on Canola crops. Beekeepers here who do, always report major problems with uncontrollable 'swarming' and subsequent problems with drone laying queens when those hives are restocked. I have put swarming in paretheses because the description of previously strong hives, full of honey with no bees left, sounds awfully like the absconding observations in CCD! These beekeepers always blame "Canola" and never question to my knowledge any chemical associations with that crop.

So, are experienced beekeepers here in Western Australia also seeing CCD without having recognised it? Roger Patterson's observation that even experienced queen rearers have accepted abnormal results for some time without realizing that there has been a change, makes that a very real possibility.

My observations FWIW.

Peter Detchon

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