I have only been a beekeeper for 11 years.  I remember taking my beginning beekeeping class.  There was discussion around the pest Varro mite and Trachea Mite.  There was discissions of the treatments.

I remember getting my first hive tested for Varro and then learning that my super had been possibly contaminated becuase it was not pulled off during the testing. Then I ralized we had problems.

I have been working bees and serving as a local beekeeping organization president and as Presuident of a state organization.  In 1998/99 I was working 88 hives for polination of watermelons.  A black insect appeared and no one really got excited but within 6 months 80 hives were destroyed by the small hive beetle.  Yes,a very expensive control were developed and recommended.  When you listen to beekeepers who did all of the right things and wind up losing their hives, you start asking yourself the questions, why spend all of the money on treatments when you probably will lose the bees anyway.  Where were these bee labs.  Why do we have to depend on chemical companies who charge such a high price for treatments that may not work.  Maybe the budget makers look at how much was being spent and how much was being produced.  Are we any better today than we were 10 years ago. We still have the same problems with a bigger threat.  For the last 4 to 5 years our local organization has picked up 200 to 300 packages of bees for current and new beekeepers.  This year the order came to less than 50.  Does this tell us that we have a major problem with beetles. It does not appear to go away.

Ron Taylor
Cottageville SC