As reported in the Springfield News-Leader (among many others), honeybee populations in the U.S. have been decimated by infestations of the Varroa mite (Varroa jacobsoni). Nationwide, the number of hives are at about 50% of what they were a year ago, after a cold winter where the bees slowed down but the mites did not. Unfortunately the mites have evolved a resistance to the two main insecticides being used against them. Expect not only less honey, but fewer and more expensive fruits and vegetables in the supermarkets this season.
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