In a message dated 21/10/2008 22:32:57 GMT Standard Time,  
[log in to unmask] writes:

<<Please do not believe all that you read in the papers.  In  my experience
this year the poor honey harvest is almost exclusively down  to the cold wet
weather prevalent for most of the "summer"  .>>


    Correct, and it's worth adding that this was the  second very bad summer 
in a row. Some colonies will have gone into the  previous winter short of 
stores, which will have exacerbated the problem. Add  the effects of bad weather 
on queen mating, and the arrival of resistent mites  in many areas - two 
autumns ago I was swamped with mites from someone  else's collapsing hives, and some 
of my efforts have had to go into rebuilding  stocks rather than producing 
honey - and you can see why there's a problem! That  being said, this year was a 
little better than last, for me at least.  

Regards,

Robert Brenchley
Birmingham  UK


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