>Pardon me for not searching the archives, but someone recently 
asked about worldwide colony losses.

I forgive you.  

Somehow archive searches don't seem to turn up what I expect the 
way they used to.  Maybe it is my imagination or Old Timers' setting in...

Anyhow.

>Read it yourself, but it appears to me that CCD symptoms are not a 
universal problem, although similar symptoms are seen in some cases.  
Poor nutrition, varroa, varroacides, Nosema ceranae, viruses and 
pesticides are commonly blamed or suspected, roughly in that order (by 
my quick read of the summaries).  I found the summary from Denmark 
to be especially interesting.

The thing is that during each and every one of these periods when 
some are reporting huge losses, others are reporting things are normal.

Seems to me the factor that is taken for granted is nutrition.  Assuming 
that the beekeepers with problems are not poisoning their bees with 
some cockamamie concoction, bad managers,  or just unlucky -- being 
in the wrong place at the wrong time -- I have to point to nutrition as 
the easiest suspect to deal with. (stuck record?)

These days, we simply cannot count on the bees getting what they 
need from natural sources, especially late in the season, especially in 
intensive farming areas and especially when there are hundreds of 
hives within a mile or two, and especially when they are subject to a 
number of diseases and parasites.

Beekeepers who feed their bees with plenty of quality feed before the 
needs become obvious are much less likely to be counted among the 
casualties.

That said, good feed alone is not enough.

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