> Given that aproximately 1% of the beekeepers manage 99% of the hives 

I think we have discussed this recently but I couldn't find the reference. I found this 1993 data from Malcolm Sanford, though. I think that the percentage of hives owned by non-commercial is at least 25%

· 125,000 beekeepers--located in every state 
· 3.03 million colonies--operated by owners of five or more colonies 
· Typical commercial operation--1500-2500 colonies 
· About 600 beekeepers operate 1,000 or more colonies each; as a group these produce 75% of the U.S. honey crop 

> what do we blame the high losses industry wide on?  

Why is it necessary to establish blame? Is this a court case? Historical records show that beekeepers have lost very high percentages of bees over the years. The reasons for this vary and include pests, pathogens, pesticides, severe weather, land use changes, to name a few

PLB

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