On Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:16:01 EDT, Jerry Bromenshenk <[log in to unmask]> 
wrote:

 
>By all definitions, absconding is abandonment of the nest.  Everybody  
goes.
>The bees don't produce queen cells, or if any are present, these  will
>usually be empty.
 

Hi Jerry,

Years ago I remember reading about a researcher who had placed a hive on 
an extremly sensative electronic scale. This enabled him to record when 
bees left and returned to the hive. He used the scale under a hive heavily 
infected with acarine mites. If I remember right, as the hive collapsed 
the infected bees (abandoned? absconded?)- left in waves of several 
thousand bees at a time. Has such a scale been used on a hive collapsing 
from CCD?

Ted

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