Randy's description of the adverse  situation with his bees 

<.... something is making the colonies sick and depressing their
buildup or survival....It's frustrating as hell!>

is my experience too. They just don't have the vigour they used to have and require a lot
more intensive management to survive, let alone thrive!
I don't see obvious disease symptoms overwhelming them.... its as though they are being nutritionally deprived. 
Yet all this is happening in the presence of plenty, since the natural vegetation is still as abundant as it used to be and still produces good food supplies ..... there is lots of pollen in the hives, and honey production still happens.
This is the reason why I suspect agrichemicals are at the root of it.
Although there has been an extensive (and very interesting and informed) discussion on this list in relation to neonics, particularly imidocloprid,
I wonder if fungicides are really at the heart of the problem I see.

My area is not an agricultural region and I am predominantly surrounded by a  National Park. But there is a river close by, and since all the little fish disappeared, mosquitos have become a big problem. Interestingly, the local cockroach population is fipronil resistant, yet there is no use of this chemical locally.
I wonder how that came about?

PeterD
in Western Australia, which is still a good place to be when all is said and done.


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