Beekeepers reported a 50 percent drop in honey crop this summer despite ideal weather conditions. And while official figures have not yet been compiled for 2012, Government urged beekeepers to closely monitor their hives as the varroa mite plaguing the Island is thought to be here to stay.Plant protection officer Claire Jessey said the health of the honey bee population is critical to maintaining a healthy ecosystem as well as agricultural production.“Honey production for 2012 appears to be significantly below average,” said Ms Jessey.“Beekeepers interviewed this year have indicated that their honey crop was about half of what they would normally harvest.“This is unexpected as the main nectar producing plants were in full bloom after the summer rains. What had all the makings of a great harvest turned out to be very disappointing indeed.“At the time of writing, some beekeepers had not yet harvested their Fall crop. Hopefully they will have some better results to report and be able to supply those customers who prefer to buy Bermuda honey.”Ms Jessey said beekeepers who harvested honey following the first significant nectar flow in July/August reported a substandard harvest, mainly due to the very dry spring and early summer that had a direct impact on the limited amount of nectar-producing plants that bloomed.Likewise, those beekeepers who have so far harvested their honey following the nectar flow in October/November have also reported lower than average yields.An average harvest can yield 100 to 125 pounds of honey per hive per year, depending on the strength of the hive and the amount of nectar producing plants in bloom.Bermuda’s bee population was rocked in 2009 by a varroa mite plaguing causing thousands of them to die.Ms Jessey said: “Every hive that has been inspected since the fall of 2010 has varroa mites.“It is expected that every hive in Bermuda has this parasite. This unfortunate outcome was anticipated and communicated to beekeepers shortly after the varroa mite was first discovered in Bermuda.“Sadly, the varroa mite is here to stay as there are no known effective ways to eradicate it, only to control it.“This level of mites in each hive will vary and fluctuate throughout the year depending on the time of year, weather, hygienic trait of the bees in each hive and the overall health of the bees.”She said beekeepers need to carefully monitor their hives for signs of weakness or collapse.“Once a hive begins to weaken, the resulting stress on the hive can lead to attacks from ants, wax moths, robber bees as well as diseases such as American Foulbrood,” she said.“Some beekeepers have reported finding a number of dead hives that were apparently strong during the summer months leading up to the harvest.“We encourage beekeepers to report dead-outs in order to keep track of hive numbers and also to try and determine what might have caused the hive to collapse.”Hive die-offs have historically been uncommon in Bermuda, usually resulting from American Foul Brood, starvation or a weak or faulty queen.But following the emergence of varroa mite, they leaped from about five percent to more than 50 percent of the total number of hives in 2010.Since then the hive number has increased due to beekeepers capturing swarms and making splits from their good hives.Currently beekeepers are reporting a slight increase in unexpected die-offs. Government will monitor the situation to see if another decrease of the bee population is starting to occur.Ms Jessey said: “Unfortunately the presence of the varroa mite has added an additional stress to the health of the bees.“As a result, we expect that Bermuda’s bee populations will continue to be extremely sensitive to pests, diseases and environmental stressors and fluctuate unsteadily in response for the foreseeable future.”She said Government will remain in contact with beekeepers and encourage them to share information on hive numbers, hive health and honey production.Government also keeps in close contact with overseas bee scientists and institutions and closely follows research and advances in the beekeeping industry, including the control of varroa mites and other pests.It is currently awaiting testing for a number of bee samples at the Beelab in Beltsville, Maryland, that should indicate what, if any, bee related viruses are present in Bermuda.Ms Jessey said: “Other countries have chosen to treat their beehives regularly with pesticides to reduce the varroa mite population in the hives.“These pesticides can have negative and long lasting effects on the bees themselves, the honey and the overall health of the hive.“Although there are some less toxic or non-toxic pesticides available for control of varroa, they can be difficult to work with and ultimately were not found to be suitable for Bermuda’s situation.“Bermuda’s beekeepers prefer not to medicate their bees and we are hoping that Bermuda’s bees will be able to coexist with the varroa mite.“Government understands that the health of the honeybee population is critical not only for good agricultural production but also for maintaining a healthy and diverse environment and ecosystem through the pollination services of the honeybee.”The general public can help the local bee population by:n planting nectar rich plant sources (check your plant nursery for information);n minimising the use of pesticides, especially systemic pesticides which can be transferred into nectar and pollen;n avoiding using any pesticides on plants that are blooming and fruit trees and;n filling bird baths with water for bees in dry periods.