Bob wrote:
>>>> However if you go back to the first CCD case with Hackenburg we were
told that only a short distance from Hackenburgs hives were yards of great
bees. Of course the CCD team spent most of their time checking Dave's bees.
hmmm. <<<<<

Hi Bob,
     You make the investigation sound cursory. As usual there is some truth
in what you say, but there is more to know. I was there. In the first place,
it was not the first instance of CCD.Ca was in distress already. Jerry B.
had been there (Fl) and had left for Ca. (where the other cases of CCD were
being investigated.) Dennis vanEnglesdorp was heading toward Ca on finishing
Fl.

Dave H. spent much of his time with a phone to his ear. He was in touch with
many sources. His theory at the time was that it began in the Midwest and
moved east. 

It's true that nearby drop sites were unaffected. It's not true that they
weren't looked at.

The hives looked at belonged to 6 or so beeks and were widely separated.
Each yard contained deteriorating, stable and recovering bees. It's not like
healthy bees weren't looked at. Of particular interest were the recovering
ones. 

A thousand frames were irradiated, to see if a pathogen could be killed. At
first look those bees housed on that comb looked good. Since dozens of
radiation facilities have not appeared ...I assume it was a dead end.
To give you an idea of the variety of subject hives:  one beek told me that
he had used Amitraz, Fluvalinate and Cumaphos and still had mites. All had
used something. 

Dick Marron

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