I have been working with the honey industry for a couple of years dealing with the destruction of the industry. The biggest problem isn't pesticides or destruction of habitat it is bee mites. Tracheal (in the throats of the bees) and Verroa mites have become the scourge of the bee industry. The problem started with an overzelous goofball that illeaglly imported bees, queens or both in an effort to imporve production. The result is pesticide resistant mites that destroy thousands of hives a week. One of my customers (I sell products to the beekeepers to attempt to control the problem) in South Dakota said he lost 5000 hives. The larger keepers in CA don't even have enough bees to pollinate the crops they are under contract for. We are currently experimenting with every concievable combination of essential oil, biological control (bacteria and
benificial fungi) to unlabled pesticides that are currently being used in the greenhouse and nursery industry for control of mites. Combine this with the dumping of foriegn honey in the US and idiots that mix cornsyrup iwth honey to strech it and are still allowed to call it honey. The honey industry is facing serious problems that may need government intervention (it really hurts to say that one). My prayers are with the keepers.
Find a local pizza place, movie theater, and moreĀ .then map the best route!
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