On Sun, 14 Apr 1996, Michael Lance High Sr. wrote:
 
> I recived 4 packages of bees this week which I installed to replace
> swarms lost over the winter.The weather has been warm here in central Va.
> for several weeks,and usually during this time,scouts from feral colonies
> will be out investigating my hives.This year, since they were empty, I
> expected many vistors.Eerily, not one bee have I observed.More ominously,
> there is a telling absence of bees on dandelions & fruit blossoms in my area.
> I had'nt noticed how empty it seemed until I installed my new
> bees.Suddenly, it seemed more normal.Today, I took a walk in the woods to
> scout out any feral swarms working in the warm air.For the first time in
> my 25 years of bee-keeping, I found NOT 1 feral colony. It appears that
> mites have decimated colonies for several miles around me.To my
> knowledge, I am the only bee-keeper for at least 5 miles.The absence of
> wild colonies, while alarming,gives me some hope that my new swarms may
> not be as readily infected this year since bee to bee contact will be
> limited.What truely frightens me is the extinction of the wild bees.While
> this opens foraging for my swarms,it means a heavy decline in pollination
> for miles around.This underscores the seriousness of the mite problems
> now facing the American honey bee.It would seem the survial of the
> species is now seriously in jepordy.
>                          MLHigh
>
> "I take my chances,I don't mind working without a net,                           I take my chances,I take my chances every chance I get"                                   Mary Chapin Carpenter
>
 Hello , I helped my best friend move this last weekend in Bremerton
Washington.We have fruit trees blooming all over and no bees.More and
more people are asking me where the bees are this year. I tell them dead
and explain about the mite.Hobby beekeepers are very important in towns
where people have fruit trees in there back yards. I'm afraid that there
numbers will stay down and keep going down.I had a 83 year old beekeeper
friend stop by today with his Wife and asked me some questions about
using apistan.We have a huckelberry flow going on now and he wants the
honey. I told him that he had a choice , bees or honey. The flow goes on
untill June so he can get some honey after he runs the strip for 28 days.
 I know around here in western washington , the V mite has cleaned
house.This summer will be interesting , the media will get into the
picture , not because of beekeepers, but because of back yard
gardeners.We have a lot of backyard gardeners here in washington.The
feral colonys are about history around here , but we have a chance with
hobby beekeepers.Everything is not gloom and doom.We will beat this mite
with hard work  and helping each other.This is a world wide problem and
it will take a world wide solution.By sharring information we will speed
up the solution.Good communication will help all of us deal with the mite.
 I think it is important to see how few feral colonys we have in
different places where we have Varroa.
 Best Regards
  Roy