Hi
I think this topic is important is because it is a beekeeper who is
spreading an "uninformed" message. The honey bee is not an endangered
species by any definition. The beekeeping industry in US and Europe is beset
by a lot of serious problems, but to say the honey bee is in danger is to
project our problems onto the bee. Even the argument that the world's food
supply is threatened boils down to a problem for us, not the bee.

Bear in mind that the honey bee genus consists of several species including
apis mellifera and apis cerana. It is mellifera that is being wrecked by the
varroa mite. As far a mellifera goes, they seem to be doing pretty well
throughout the tropics and anywhere the African types are present. Finally,
the honey bee will never make the endangered species list in this country
because it isn't even a native. 

I expect the beekeeping industry will survive because the fewer hives there
are, the higher the fees will go for pollination, and the higher the price
will be for honey. Market pressures helped create new ideas like bring in
bees from Australia or Russia, cross breed types to produce hybrid vigor,
etc. Finally, it should be remembered that the honey bee is on a lot
people's lists as an *invasive pest*, which drives out native bees, such as
Meliponini.

pb

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