>Since mite predation can fully explain baseball-sized colonies in February
up north, I invoke Occam's razor to support my contention that trying to
blame some new, complex, mysterious cause is a waste of valuable resources.

Peter, it has been shown time and again that CCD collapses are not
correlated with mite levels.  I suffered sudden collapses in my own
operation that were in colonies with very low mite levels.  This was the
year prior to Jerry's naming of CCD.  A few thousand colonies of other beeks
also collapsed around me, but not in all operations.

In a trial that I am currently running, we created CCD-like symptoms in
pesticide-free, non-migratory, low mite, well-nourished colonies by
inoculation with a mixed virus cocktail via sugar syrup.  The colonies were
previously, and intentionally, naturally infected with N ceranae also.  It
took about 9 days for major collapses to occur, and they have continued to
occur for the last two months.

Earlier this week, we inspected every comb of every colony in the trial, and
observed some in every stage of CCD-like collapse.

Randy Oliver

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