CCD is fairly nebulous to define and I am not convinced that it has occurred outside of the US.
A residue of a couple of hundred bees with a queen in springtime is not CCD, much more likely to be caused by one of the nosemas or PMS (parasitic mite syndrome) I have seen this in a couple of my own nucs and in other people's bees as well.
Local beekeepers who have had big losses - and it is always the same beekeepers year after year- are the ones who go on about CCD. When you press them there has been no varroa control, late varroa control or varroa control with some home made remedy.
A certain case of PPB and not very likely to be CCD.
They use things in the US for treating bees which we don't in Europe which could also be contributing to bee health problems long term due to synergies and interactions. Oxtetracycline, Coumaphos, Amitraz and who knows what else. If you remember the Engelsdorp paper from a couple of years ago found little evidence of neonicotinoids in the hive yet very high levels of chemicals put in the hive by the beekeeper as part of mite control.
Robert Paxton in his Saturday presentation at the Centenary mentioned he was looking at how fluvalinate interacts with some other pests, pathogens and chemicals. Fluvalinate is the active ingredient of Apistan and Bavarol
Bookmarks