Medhat et all,

Symptoms have been linked / associated CCD by individuals investigating 
colony losses.

One being that foraging bees fly out of the hive, but do not return.

Bill Truesdell wishes to try and separate CCD losses from Winter losses 
by some symptomatic difference.

Medhat indicates possible high numbers of colony losses, presumably in 
Alberta but hesitates between classic winter loss and CCD as the culprit.

So, is "....They are considered winter mortality. I am not sure if they 
can be classified as CCD or high classical winter mortality." an 
indication of where we are in the investigation of this CCD problem ?

Back to Bill's point.

But in Medhat's "case", the bees are still there (and would be in most 
over wintered colonies in Canada).

If this is a case of CCD in Canada then we have bodies that in typical 
CCD cases are not present to investigate.

Therefore returning to Bill's point, it is essential to differentiate 
between losses due to wintering conditions and CCD.

If CCD was present in Canadian stocks would it be expected to see the 
following:

1. Where losses occurred over winter that the dead bees would still be 
present in the hives.
2. The number of colonies that die being a  high % of a total present.
3. That colonies remaining alive and coming out of winter (as at 
present) dying off without showing spring expansion.

Until there is something to differentiate winter loss from CCD it would
seem logical to try and prove that colonies did not die from CCD rather 
than they did die from CCD.


Regards,
Peter

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