Cool Places Only by Ares

Puzzle explanation

The title anagrammatically represents the theme phrase “colony collapse disorder”, a phenomenon in which bees disappear. Accordingly, all Bs were removed from clues before solving or from answers before entry in the grid. The preamble contained no instances of B. The final grid change of R to P in 27dn produced APIS, the genus of bees.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Modified words Answer Explanation
Across
1 (B)lake SHIELD SHIED around L
6 (B)it ODESSA ODES + SA
11 (B)eater, (B)reeds DERMESTID (REEDS TIM) * + D
13 (B)lock ULNAE (L(ock) + N) in UAE
14 (B)ill USER NURSE * − N
15 (B)road AISLING SLING after A1
16 ca(B)in CAIRN R in CAIN
17   DEBAR (AB in RED) <
18 Gra(BB)y EGGY EG + GY
19 (B)raving SCISSEL (CS LEWIS with S for W) *
22 (B)ess VANESSA ESS in (VAN + A)
24   BLUES 2 meanings
29 (B)ard SARD S + ARD
31   STABLE ABLEST with letters cycled
32 (B)rash, (B)old FALLS TO (FAST + O) around LL
33   RABID RA + BID
34   SUPERB PER in SUB
35   BRAINSTORM BRAM around IN STOR(e)
36 (B)ran SYSTEM (MET + S(o)Y (i)S) <
37   BLUSTER (BLUE + R) around ST
Down
1 ru(BB)le SQUARE (SQUAD + RE) − D
2   HOBBLING HOB + BLING
3 (B)ordered INN SIGN INNINGS *
4   BEDABBLE DABBLE after BE(t)
5 (B)one DRYNESS D(i)R(t)Y (o)N(e) E(a)S(e)S
7   DESCRIBED DEED with SCRIBE for E
8 (B)rig STRIG (fa)ST RIG
9 (B)an SIRREE SEE around (IR + R)
10 (B)lend, (B)a(B)y ADENYL (LEND AY) *
12   SEBAT TABES <
17 si(B)s, (B)id DISSEISE (SEE SIS ID) *
20 (B)ring CARACOL CARACAL with O for A
21 (B)uns SUNSPOT UNS in SPOT
22 or(B) VISORS (OR + S) after (VI + S)
23 (B)ash ASTRAY AS(h) + TRAY
25 (B)en ENTÊTÉ EN + TÊTE
26 (B)one SCORER (torso’)S CORE R(esilience)
27 (B)lair’s LARIS LAIR’S with R moved up
28   ALBAN NABLA <
30   PLUMBS MB in PLUS
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