> The nation's beekeepers have been classified by USDA as (a) hobbyist, (b) part-time or sideliner, or (c) commercial or full-time.  Hobbyist beekeepers own fewer than 25 colonies and keep bees for a hobby or for small-scale pollination of orchard or field crops.

> Most honey produced by hobbyists is consumed at home, given away, or sold directly by the beekeeper. Part-time or sideliner beekeepers each own between 25 and 299 colonies and market their honey either through direct sales to consumers or retail outlets, or
through bulk sales to honey processors. Commercial or full-time
beekeepers each own 300 or more colonies and, according to the USDA,
are responsible for about 60% of the extracted honey produced in the
United States.

> Beekeeping is heavily concentrated along the U.S. northern border from Michigan to Washington, where there are large areas of alfalfa and clover nectar, and in Florida, California, and Texas, where fruits and vegetables are sources of nectar and the growers need pollination services. The four leading states (ND, SD, FL, CA) account for nearly 50% of U.S. honey production. In 2002, there were 12,029 beekeepers with 2.4 million honey bee colonies, and they produced 175 million pounds of honey.

> Honey imports were negligible until the early 1970s, when they began to grow rapidly. In 2005, honey imports reached a record high of 233 million pounds. The top five foreign suppliers in 2005, accounting for 80% of total imports, were China (28%), Argentina (22%), Vietnam (13%), Canada (10%), and India (7%).

* * *

> In 2006, commercial migratory beekeepers along the East Coast of the United States began reporting sharp declines in their honey bee colonies. Because of the severity and unusual circumstances of these colony declines, scientists named this phenomenon Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Reports indicate that beekeepers in [at least] 35 states have been affected. Recent surveys indicate that about one half of surveyed beekeepers have experienced "abnormal" or "severe" colony losses.

> Diana Cox-Foster of Penn State University says there are some reports now of CCD making a reappearance, though mainly in the colonies of less experienced beekeepers. If CDD continues, researchers like Cox-Foster are concerned that we could see major problems in honeybee numbers next Spring. She explains that beekeepers were able to restore colony numbers this year, but the weather was in our favor.

* * *

Comment:

These facts show that the bulk of the bees in the US are owned by
commercial outfits, that they produce more of the US honey than the
small timers, that even more honey is imported than is produced here.
CCD is not limited to the areas where most of the commercial operators
operate, nor is it only commercial beekeepers that have it. Also,
so-called "organic beekeepers" have not been spared.

sources:

Congressional Reports RS20759 and RL33938

www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/bees/

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