The cause(s) of CCD in U.S. bee colonies remains under investigation ... Not listed in any particular order, the primary hypotheses include, but are not limited to:
 
1. traditional bee pests and pathogens; 
2. how the bees were managed (management stress); 
3. queen source (poor genetic biodiversity); 
4. chemical use in bee colonies to control bee pests / pathogens; 
5. chemical toxins present in the environment;
6. V. destructor mites and associated pathogens; 
7. bee nutritional fitness; 
8. undiscovered / newly discovered pests and pathogens or increasing virulence of existing pathogens; 
9. potential synergistic interactions between two or more of the above hypotheses.

Colony losses, managed colony population decline, and Colony Collapse Disorder in the United States
James D. Ellis, Jay D. Evans and Jeff Pettis
Journal of Apicultural Research 49(1): 134-136 (2010)
             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html

Access BEE-L directly at:
http://community.lsoft.com/scripts/wa-LSOFTDONATIONS.exe?A0=BEE-L