http://beeinformed.org/2016/05/10/nations-beekeepers-lost-44-percent-of-bees-in-2015-16/

The link is what started it all. As usual, the devil is in the details. If
you look from year to year the results are fairly consistent with some up
years and some down. The graph is misleading as it has no summer loss bar
but just adds it to the winter loss to get a total loss.

But the most interesting is to read the comments, especially that all the
deaths are caused by Monsanto and the usual culprits. But the capstone for
me is that the solution is "treatment free bees". Were are such bees?- from
a named bee supplier who lived across from me and who lost her bees every
year.

Before she was there I had great bees and few losses. After she moved in my
success rate plummeted. Since she left, my bees are flourishing again.
Checked them a few days ago and found no Varroa on the bottom board or
selected drone brood.

So there is no need to see why the losses are mostly to hobby beekeepers as
they believe the crap that is in the comments section.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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