Hello Randy & All,
Randy asked:
Bob, I'm still really interested in your bleach sterilization of
> combs.
 Did you
> compare any colonies the same season that didn't get their combs bleached
> (a
> control group)?

 Part one:
In 2007 bees crashed in 200 boxes ( 100 hives approx.) with bees dead in 
feeders and high spore counts.

Part two:

My control so to speak were the boxes their selves. Around 200 deep boxes
were involved. In spring 2008 nucs ( 1 frame of pollen . 2 frames of brood
and a frame of honey ( or sucrose uncapped in frame)
were installed in a single box with inside feeder. 4 frames from a hive from
a almost no spore count hive
with laying 2008 mated queen. Half no spore contaminated comb & half four 
spore
contaminated deadout comb ( no Clorox or acetic acid treatment. The hives
were fed pollen patties and fed sucrose. Then a second box was added ( 9
contaminated frames) from a hive from which the bees died with spore counts
over 5 million with feeders full of dead bees. The bees appeared doing good
and moved into the second box. Queen laying good. Queens from three
different sources. When both boxes were full of bees feed and patties were
stopped and about two weeks later out main flow started.
* These hives were looked at by five  professional commercial beekeepers. 
Myself and my employee, Glenn Davis owner Bell Hill honey and his employee 
and Terry Brown ( Browns Bees Australia who was spending a few days checking 
on hives of mine headed by his queens.
All agreed that the hives were going downhill fast and could not believe the 
bees dying in the feeders. As terry brown & I traveled around to other yards 
we only saw great looking bees without problems.
Hives were moved
from the holding yard and the hives were separated into yards according to
the queen source.
I always keep queen sources separate UNLESS in the winter holding yard. In
spring after pollination the hives will go into yards usually 24 hives (6
pallets)  with the same queen source.
Before the supers were placed the hives appeared in great shape.
Each hive was checked to make sure queen right ( checking for eggs ) and in 
a
couple hives a yard for varroa load .  Although the boxes were full of bees
the brood amount was dropping. Nosema counts were rising.  These hives
produced almost no honey and we were forced to pull supers. I emailed randy
about the issue and he recommended drench , as did Dr. Mussen and the
Sullivan's ( California beekeepers running 13,000 hives). I might add three
different drench amounts.
I filled the feeders with sucrose and began the drenches. Over the next two
months 80% died and the rest were too weak to winter and were depopulated.
Looking back It would have been better money wise to simply depopulate. 
Which Randy will remember was the option I liked best.

I wrote the above so randy and I would be on the same page. This post is
like I would send Randy directly ( which I almost did) but maybe the list
might find of interest.

These 200 deep boxes were placed in a forty foot ocean container and subject
to freezing for long periods but they were *also* placed in the same 
situation
the 2007 winter before the above attempt to repopulate with bees.

Part three ( the rest of the story to follow)

Bob

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