Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => DISEASE & PEST CONTROL => Topic started by: Thymaridas on August 12, 2010, 05:57:58 pm

Title: Was this CCD?
Post by: Thymaridas on August 12, 2010, 05:57:58 pm

I think that I have just experienced my first case of CCD.

2 weeks ago, I put a cell bar frame into the hive. The frame was new so I wanted the bees to "polish" it up and get it all bee friendly and ready to receive grafts. The hive seemed to have more than the normal number of young workers, but it was requeened the 5th of June. The brood pattern was good. There was lots of nectar and pollen. In short, all looked good to me. The mite count was low, few beetles and ants, no sign of disease. Good water source nearby - the weather has been very hot.

Checked today and the bees were gone. There was capped brood, honey pollen, and the dead queen on the bottom board.

If I left out any pertinent info, let me know. I keep detailed records and can provide lots of info on the hive.

Was this CCD?

Title: Re: Was this CCD?
Post by: AllenF on August 12, 2010, 08:44:26 pm

They just packed up and left?   Only the one dead bee?  You don't think the beetles pushed them out?   Maybe aliens. 

Title: Re: Was this CCD?
Post by: slacker361 on August 12, 2010, 09:11:23 pm

i thought ccd there would be the  queen remaining and some workers, i would think they all left?

Title: Re: Was this CCD?
Post by: Michael Bush on August 12, 2010, 11:00:12 pm

Is there evidence of ants or SHB?  Sometimes they will drive the bees to abscond, which sounds like what they did.

Title: Re: Was this CCD?
Post by: Thymaridas on August 12, 2010, 11:18:37 pm

I place my hives on ladderback frames with the legs in soaped water to keep the ants away. In looking through the hive I only saw 1 SHB and the traps between the frames were empty.

Title: Re: Was this CCD?
Post by: doak on August 17, 2010, 10:47:50 pm

Sounds more like absconding than CCD.
For what ever reason :)doak