Buzzing south for the winter: Bees depart Wilson County after summer of pollination
October 10, 2017
From: The Wilson Times [North Carolina]
By Drew C. Wilson
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The feral bees have been down in their numbers since the introduction of the Varroa mite, a small parasite that can attach itself to the insect.
“The Varroa mite is the main problem for the beekeepers,” Keller said. “That’s something that we can treat in the hives, but obviously in the wild, those don’t get treated. Sometimes a hive can survive for several years before it will finally succumb to the pressure of the Varroa mite. The overall health of the honeybee in the wild is unknown because we can’t get in there and look at them, but their numbers are down.”
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