Comments on: It’s not CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder)!

By: Waheed Elqalatawy

Waheed Elqalatawy — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 21:37:15 +0000

A great article !
Writertiff made a lens at squidoo
http://www.squidoo.com/bee
and I made another lens
http://www.squidoo.com/why-is-ccd-more-serious/
They both extrapolate the disaster in case
you want to look at them.

By: Tim Arheit

Tim Arheit — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 16:15:45 +0000

In the only case I\’ve seen that matches the symptoms of CCD, it looked exactly like my observation hive absconded (abandoned the hive) last year. It happened quickly, probably in minutes and not over weeks as typical with disease or causes. It leaves no (or few) and often just older capped brood. Bees are know to abscond when something makes their home undesirable (temperatures too high, disease, etc.) It\’s not common in my experience, but it has happened. Of course no one is watching these hives 24/7, so to my knowledge no one has notice them leaving in mass.

There are indications that it could be some sort of parasite (bacteria, virus, fungus, etc.) The odor of the parasite or some chemical they emit, could keep other bees at bay (especially if it was the cause of the bees leaving the hive in the first place).

Of course this is pure speculation at this point.

By: Brian P. Levine

Brian P. Levine — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 16:35:17 +0000

I found you insight on the bee die-off interesting.

To what do you attribute the lack of dead bee bodies in these instances?

Also, to what do you attribute the fact that other bees in neighboring colonies seem to wait weeks before attempting to take over the empty hive. I thought bees would try to claim the empty hive much more quickly.

Your thought would be appreciated.

By: Tim Arheit

Tim Arheit — Wed, 09 May 2007 13:45:46 +0000

It seems the experts agree that Ohio wasn’t really CCD.
Dr James Tew: Problems for honeybees, but not CCD, at least in Ohio as a whole.