>>Maybe the list can help out here -- to the best of our knowledge, 
honeydew may be a poor nutrient, but isn't toxic.

I can't comment to much on honeydew but, to my concern, my hives went 
into the winter with significant amounts of late fall honey in the 
deeps that began to crystalize.  I've had an incredibly mild winter 
on Long Island (no real freeze as of today Jan. 6th!) and the bees 
have been taking flights.  Hence, the crystalized honey has not been 
an issue.

I've seen dandelions and forsythia blooming!  Skunk cabage is coming 
up in the marshes.  If the bees start brooding en masse and a cold 
winter sets in, colonies will be in trouble by March.  They've 
already consumed disproportionate amounts of stores.

On the other hand, I am saving on heating oil!

>>We've now documented the bee loss problem in 10 states, many of 
which DO  NOT have a fall honeydew flow.  ... the colony  
collapse is rapid - 2 to 3 weeks or less.  ... some clues that  
suggest that the current problem can be passed to other colonies, 
yards...

It sounds like a virus.  Bees on the verge of death are known to take 
a last flight away from the hive.  It might be telling to locate some 
feral colonies in remote areas for a comparison.  If the feral 
colonies are doing well, you can rule out honeydew or other nectar 
sources.

Waldemar
Long Island, NY

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