Greetings!
 
I am a UW Madison graduate student developing a story about bedding down
varroa decimated beehives for the winter, progress in coping with the
infestation and prognostications for the year to come.
 
How serious is the threat of mite infestation to honeybees and honey
production in the United States?
 
How would you describe the econonomic impact of the infestation in this
country?
 
What do the mites do that kills bees? What more familiar process might it
be compared to?
 
I would also appreciate some framework information:
 
How many bees inhabit how many humanmade hives in the US? How does that
compare to the past 1-5 years? 5-10 years?
 
For the same intervals, how much honey have they produced comparatively?
 
For the same intervals, how many acres or sq. miles do they pollinate
comparatively?
 
What crops do bees pollinate? Do any other species contribute to this
pollination? (butterflies, hummingbirds, etc.) If so, in what proportion?
If not, what alternatives, if any exist?
 
I have heard that 60% to 80% of honeybees were lost last winter, compared
to normal annual loss of 5-6%. Is this accurate?
 
What else should I know to treat this subject adequately?
 
Thank you for your prompt and generous attention.!
 
Sincerely,
 
Deborah Mink