> 
> I'm hearing reports of 70% colony losses in some parts of east coast.  What are others hearing?  Obviously can't be CCD, Dennis has told us it's gone.  
> 

I ran about 80 production hives and between 100 and 150 nucs this past year, up about 15% from previous year.  I’ve kept bees 32 of the last 44 years.  There are no commercial beekeepers in our part of the state, and only a few hobbyists and one sideliner nuc producer in range of my yards.

I lost 15% of production colonies in Oct and Nov, earlier than normal.  No losses since.  My losses usually come in Dec, Jan, and Feb.  I’ve lost 7% of the nucs, but some of that was queen problems.

We are coming off of what I would call a crappy year.  Mild winter, early spring, rain throughout May during our main flow and my queen rearing.  They did make some honey from rains through the summer.  My honey crop was about half of normal and I had mating problems with my spring queens.

No treatments.


Richard Reid

Mountains of SW VA at 2,200 feet
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