>>> [log in to unmask] 04/03/02 04:43PM >>>
According to 2000 stats:

1. There are 2,620,000 hives in the US, ignoring beekeepers with less than 5 hives.

2. Per Cornell and Roger's study the direct value of honeybees to our economy due to pollination is $16 billion.

3. Divide 2 by 1 yields a per hive contribution of $6106.

4. If we half this figure because feral colonies exist, we are still left with a big per hive value to our economy. Some feel that this calculation justifies a subsidy program to help beekeepers survive, mites, foreign competition, etc.
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I agree with the sentiment and that kind of statistic is valuable to use as a political arguing point.  In general, it is probably even true.  I have no doubt that it's a better statistic than is used by most politicians to support the positions and goals they want to achieve.

When you get down to specifics, though, each hive will have a different value to the economy, depending on how it is used, where it is located, what population it has, genetic characteristics, etc. etc.  For example, my hives, where they are located in a non-agricultural area, probably contribute very little to the national economy as compared to hives sitting in an almond orchard in California, where they would be contributing directly to the economy.  My contribution is more along the lines of "one more person who loves bees" and we need all of those we can get too.

When you speak of averages and in generalities, though, I believe your position is completely valid.  It gives me one more statistic I can now use in justifying my keeping bees and encouraging others to be "bee friendly."  "The average value of a beehive to the United States economy is $3,053 !" could be used to justify a lot of things and impress a lot of people.

Layne Westover, College Station, Texas