Virginia Farms and Honey Bees

One of Virginia’s most valuable agricultural assets, the honeybee, continues to struggle. Disease problems, a syndrome called colony collapse disorder, and cold weather hit the state’s bee population hard again last winter.   “This past year we’re probably seeing higher losses than the year before,” said Keith Tignor, state apiarist with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. “We’re still surveying, and it will be a few months before we know exact results. But informally we’re hearing of lots of bee losses.”   Winter honeybee losses have averaged 31 percent over the past decade.   Honeybees are extremely valuable, because they are all-purpose pollinators, helping boost production of numerous agricultural crops. Tignor estimated honeybees…