Brian Fredericksen <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >i've kept bees in central mn since 1995 and winter my colonies over. > >i'd rather enter a bee yard in mid winter and see some dead bees on the ground in the snow then >nothing. >those dead bees are probably from cleansing flights and has nothing to do with the published >symptoms of CCD. >a couple of hundred lost bees to cleansing flights per hive is nothing as new brood will be hatching >in the next month or two. I did say it didn't seem excessive numbers And I know you doubt I have ccd What is unusual is flights at 9am-11am and 3pm-5:30pm -- every day that its not "cold" I hope that there will be no brood yet or for 2 months or more I'm used to hives that appear dead unless you give them a thump to hear Some hives do very well with only a few bodies outside all winter, maybe most make it home But this is now dave ****************************************************** * Full guidelines for BEE-L posting are at: * * http://www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm * ******************************************************