>"While mites spreading from all hives in area caused all of my hives but
one to perish"

I do not understand why there is such a huge variation around the world.  Here in the UK I see little concern from beekeepers these days about the effects of varroa.

In our own apiaries, we have just finished a first tour around and found colonies in far better condition than I have seen for years.  Our mite treatment is minimal in the extreme - just one thymol treatment after the crop was taken off.  Losses this year were 15% - but it should be remembered that we never unite weak colonies in the autumn, preferring to give every queen a chance, so a number went into winter with just a couple of frames of brood from queens that mated very late in the year.

It has been a tough winter - cold, miserable, dark and wet for weeks on end which prevented colonies from foraging for that vital early pollen.  Now we are into serious drought with little significant rain since February - and the temperatures struggling to make the low teens (ºC) so far this year.

If this continues there is no doubt that crops will fail - field beans (Vicia faba) failed last year and there are some large acreages this year that must be on the brink.  A couple of days ago I saw a field of wheat where the leaves are starting to turn brown - and it is only about 6 inches high!

Grass is not growing well either, so problems for the livestock farmers.

As we enter our 41st season of keeping bees it is clear that it is getting more difficult for all of us.

Best wishes

Peter 
52°14'44.44"N, 1°50'35"W

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