Perhaps the "alarmist spin" and high initial reports comes more from the backyard and side-liner beekeeper losses rather than the commercial beekeeper winter losses.  What I found interesting and troublesome with the report was the loss by the average beekeeper rather than the total average loss   
2010/2011 was 38.4%   2011/2012 was 25.3%   and this past winter was a staggering 45.1%.    So if I understand the survey correctly, that is rather close to the initial reports of 50% losses as the majority of beekeepers, 95%  but the minority of hives (6% in the survey) are managed by us small guys.  So the average of vast majority of beekeepers suffered close to 50% losses so they had the mouths to shout of the impending doom of the honey bee.   I read this as not so much of a threat to monocrop agriculture but as a sad state of affairs for common beekeeper.  I could have easily sold 10 times the nucs I am producing and selling here in central Virginia without paying for a single add.  So why do the small timers consistently lose so much more than the commercial operations?   PPB?  Lack of monitoring?  lack of mite treatments?  High percentage of beginners?     

Cheers to spring finally showing up in Virginia,
Ryan     

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