I have only seen 50 ccd absconds so FWIW 
(since '06, I noted first symptom that I saw here, oct 06, unaware at that point what was to come)
Randy touched on it, the variability of ccd, it depends on the season what you will see

But some common factors are 
No bees, 
Few bees on baseboard, 
Several hives rather than only one
(at least 20% of the yard, wait a week or 2 and it will be 40% or more)

In spring, the hive will be a dink, the queen has a 50% chance of turning up dead in a month,
rarely you will see larvae mortality at 1 day, no older larvae. 

Since I use formic, I have never seen the summer form, this is as you originally posted
( a few bees, queen, several frames of brood)

In late summer, all bees gone, 1-2 frames dead brood spread over 4-6 frames
Few bees on BB
Dead brood is mostly emergants, coloured pupae, chewing thru capping with antenna extended,
dead right there. (60-75%) Some of dead brood will be early pupae

Mid to late fall.  No bees, no brood, few bees on BB. Lots of honey

Winter. A too small, frozen cluster, not starved. You know there was a cold snap a week previous.
The cluster is the size of a fist, should have been bigger. Few bees on BB

I don't feed HFCS, I don't think my bees have exposure to neo-nics
I live in  Ontario, bees are 2 hours NNE of Toronto
(probably a hair colder than Allen)
They have been tested for Nosema, negative 5x

dave

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