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BLACKSBURG — A parasite that’s already infested honeybees in 24 states has found its way to Virginia, and experts say it could result in a 30 percent to 35 percent reduction in honey production, said a Virginia Tech entomologist.
The varroa mite, a tiny parasite similar to a tick, was found by New Jersey agriculture officials last month in a colony of bees shipped to that state from Northern Virginia, said Rick Fell, associate professor of entomology at Virginia Tech. The bees are used in New Jersey for blueberry pollination.
Experts are predicting that the mite could eventually reduce U.S. honey production by about onethird, Mr. Fell said. In 1989, honey production was valued at $84.6 million, according to the National Honey Board.
“This is certainly one of our main concerns,” Prof. Fell said, especially since honey-producing colonies in Virginia already are down by about 25 percent thanks to another parasite, the tracheal mite.
A varroa mite infestation also could damage Virginia’s $60 million to $70 million pollination industry, he said. About 12,000 of the state’s 75,000 colonies are used to pollinate crops such as apples, melons and cucumbers.
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