Beekeepers worry about 'colony collapse disorder'

MONTPELIER, Vt. --Already stung by parasite infestations and a honey market glutted with foreign imports, Vermont's beekeepers are bracing for a big new threat.

There's been no sign so far in northern New England of the "colony collapse disorder" that has decimated about a quarter of the nation's 2.4 million beehives since November. But the disorder -- whose cause is uncertain -- already has spread to 27 states, so it may be just a matter of time.

"So far so good in Vermont, as far as (the disorder) goes, but it's early in the season so we still don't know what to expect," said Steve Parise, the state apiculturist.

Vermont's bee industry is modest, but has a big effect on other parts of the agricultural sector because of bees' role in pollinating plants. The state's 1,600 beekeepers produce about 600,000 pounds of honey a year, worth about $700,000 a year to Vermont's economy.

But Vermont's apple, blueberry, pumpkin, clover and other crops rely on bees.

"The cross-pollinating they're doing while collecting the nectar is worth millions of dollars," said John Tardie, former president of the Vermont Beekeepers Association. "There's value in the honey, sure. But the real value of bees is what they do for all those plants."

The association's current president Mike Palmer, said he lost 30 percent of his hives during the winter -- not due to colony collapse, but due to a parasite that arrived from Asia about 20 years ago.

Before the varroa mite arrived, skilled beekeepers typically saw 5 to 10 percent of their colonies die off in a given year. Now 18 to 30 percent die-offs are common.

Mike Palmer, current president of the Vermont Beekeepers Association, lost 30 percent of his 750 hives over the winter. The culprit is a parasite called the varroa mite, which arrived in Vermont about 20 years ago. Before the mites, good beekeepers might lose 5 percent to 10 percent of their colonies a year, he says. Now the fatality rate is 18 percent to 30 percent.