>
> Despite less available forage (due to changing farming practices) there
> appeared to be an inverse correlation between number of hives and per-hive
> yield.  This is exactly what you'd see in any apiary.  My point was that it
> appeared that 6 million hives results in enough competition for resources
> to reduce honey yields.  This then has implications for competition between
> honey bees and native pollinators.


I'm not sure that I'm willing to agree that correlation means causation. Or
in this case, that inverse correlation means causation. I'm reminded of the
age old saying that "Ice Cream Sales Increase Lead to Higher Homicide
Rates" simply because they correlate.

It is equally as likely that a third variable caused both an increase in
per hive yields and a decrease in colony populations, without having any
interaction with native pollinators. Or it may be that as per hive yields
decrease, beekeeping becomes less profitable causing some enterprises to
exit the field, thereby decreasing the number of colonies, without having
any bearing on competition with native pollinators. I don't know.

But seeing an inverse correlation like that makes me say "neat", but alone
doesn't cause me to draw any conclusions beyond pure speculation.

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