I am bemused by the focus on this minor point, 
but I will assist Peter's inquiries as best I can.

> I can't let you get away with words like "guess", 
> "obvious", or "screams"!

I will not put words in the mouths of others 
without verifying with them first, so I
will refrain from attributing specifics
simply to satisfy your demand for more 
definite "proof" of what I will stress 
yet again should be obvious to even the 
casual observer.

> I asked: "Given the amount of work done so far 
> on CCD and comb contamination, presumably someone 
> has been checking for N ceranae spores?" 
> (Note the question mark).

I answered. "Yes, of course".  
I'll even go so far as to say "Yes!"  
(Note the exclamation point.)

> So far, the answer seems to be that nobody knows 
> for sure 

I think I've said I know often enough, but you 
seem to want to hear it from someone who is more 
than a mere "nobody".  

> and if they have then it does not appear to have 
> been documented.  I must admit I find this 
> hard to believe.

To quote Darth Vader, "I find your lack of
faith disturbing."  :)

The more accurate test from a clinical standpoint
would be the count of Nosema spores in the gut of
a sample of bees, as the number of spores is of
interest.  It is clear (to me, at least) that the 
lack of anything more than casual interest in the 
use of comb analysis as a screening tool is the 
complete lack of any calibrated "levels" for 
Nosema comb residue.

So, while someone certainly could publish data
saying that they found so many million spores
per gram of wax sampled, they would be unable to
draw any firm conclusion from the data, given
that residue levels are going to vary widely
from colony to colony within a yard, and also
vary widely for the same level of infection
based upon the weather.  Bees confined to the
hive by bad weather will deposit more feces 
on comb than bees that can fly every day.

So, the focus is certain to remain on looking 
at Nosema levels in samples of bees, as the 
results would be more meaningful/useful.

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