>
> >Did you fill out the survey claiming CCD losses Randy?


No, the survey came out too late.  And I don't pursue taxpayer money in any
case.

I had CCD losses the year before Hack did, and then the next, but not since,
other than those that we inadvertently created in the Remebee trial.  During
that trial, a number of us, including Dr. Mussen, clearly watched colonies
collapse with CCD "symptoms"--either dwindle to a handful of bees and the
queen, or the definitive sudden collapse with full frames of brood present.


Hard to imagine if you haven't seen it with your own eyes!  I'm sorry that
you weren't there, as it would have clarified for you what beekeepers who
have experienced it are talking about.  Note that we initiated it with an
inoculation of virus from another commercial operation that had experienced
CCD the prior year.

And, as you so rightly observed, the cause appeared to be due to a
combination of virus, nosema, and chilling.

I'm well aware that many beekeepers have erroneously or intentionally blamed
other sorts of colony losses on CCD.  Also that some surveys are skewed
toward CCD reporting, in that they count deadouts without dead bees as CCD,
which is ridiculous.

Just yesterday, I saw (in another operation) a very typical varroa/DWV
collapse, leaving the typical hive full of honey, a little dying brood, and
a handful of bees and a healthy queen, and no dead bees.  This was anything
but CCD, but in some surveys, would have been counted as such.  To me, this
is a real problem with such a survey.

Bob, I don't understand why you think that any scientific research that does
not meet your complete approval is a total waste (although I do agree that
much research has been poorly or wastefully done).  The research into diesel
particulates in the U.K. has an excessively high price tag IMHO, and is not
directly related to the sort of short acting effect that you described by
loads suffering from exhaust fumes.

Thank you for clarifying your previous post, as I did not take the time to
dig through the archives.  I can see that you did not blame diesel fumes for
CCD, but rather only for colonies collapsing immediately after a move.  I
was confused, since your post came at a time of active questioning about the
cause of CCD.  I stand corrected!

I would volunteer to be pilloried as a show of retribution, but I have far
too much bee work to get done this week!

Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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