Colony Collapse Disorder?

Question

Anybody followign the missing hoenybee crisis?

Hasanythign like this happened before, dead and missing bees? What's your take on this?

I am thinking disease or parasites, in relation to climate change problems.

Answer 1

A colony which has collapsed from CCD is generally characterized by:
1. Complete absence of adult bees in colonies, with no or little build-up of dead bees in or in front of the colonies.
2. Presence of capped brood in colonies.
3. Presence of food stores, both honey and bee pollen:
i. which is not immediately robbed by other bees
ii. when attacked by hive pests such as wax moth and small hive beetle, the attack is noticeably delayed.

Precursor symptoms that may arise before the final colony collapse are:
1. Insufficient workforce to maintain the brood that is present
2. Workforce seems to be made up of young adult bees
3. Queen is uncharacteristically evident outside the hive
4. The colony members are reluctant to consume provided feed, such as sugar syrup and protein supplement.

There are lots of economic disorientation due to CCD. So, the national governments of US, Canada, UK, etc. are seriously looking into it.