National Annual Losses in dollars

[Karessa]

Oh, sorry. I meant to say "corrections".

[wildbranch2007]

even if you could find something that gave a number below is examples of why the data would probably be meaningless:

part of one post

This is a very important issue that I wish we could standardize as an industry.
Every year I am subjected to at least 4 surveys that include questions about winter losses.
There is all together WAY too much room for variation and fuzzy math without a standard definition that we all understand and apply to our situation.
So here is my formula, one that soley has to do with hive numbers and almost nothing to do with the calendar:



http://www.beesource.com/forums/show...oing-backwards

[jim lyon]

Yeah I get that stuff as well. I answer them as best as I can but I know some folks don't bother and it's anyone's guess how accurate the returned ones really are.

[Karessa]

Sweet. Simple and clean.

I'm a bit floored that there isn't any usable data on this! We have more statistics about baseball? Nice.

[Karessa]

Hey Jim, that's true. They're kind of a pain. If they weren't so long and arduous, and the questions were targeted more towards beekeepers, it would probably have better response?

[jim lyon]

In fairness, many folks genuinely feel "big brother" dosent need to know every detail about their business. If they aren't cheating anyone who is to say there is really a genuine public need to know about what is happening in their backyard.

[gmcharlie]

They are not losses Karessa, typical account problem. If I plant corn and it yeilds 30 bushel an acre, but a guy across teh state gets 50, did I loose 20 bushels? no.... my production vs input ratio is less, but it is not a loss. To do your math you would need to account for every blossom missed by bees, minus the ones pollinated by wind and other insects to calculate the lost in fruit production......

Losses of bees are an expense from an accounting standpoint. not a loss in profits. I doubt you will find a beekeeper who doesn't realize this is part of the process, and as far as I know all the beekkeepers are able to replace those every year. some do it with splits some with purchases......

I would love to put the "loss" of honey on my taxes when my hives dont make 500lbs each... but accounting laws won't let me!......

seems to me a search for a fantastical number that means nothing..... but interesting discussion.

Be sure that if you come up with that number you add back the losses from the package producers no longer being able to make a living.....

[beedeetee]

On years that I have no or low loses I have to increase or sell bees. Otherwise they will swarm. So I suppose I lose the value that I could sell, but if I lose 20% I can use that equipment to keep bees from swarming. So it depends on your perspective. If you don't want to expand anymore, a 20% loss is okay. I get more honey by keeping them from swarming. So this isn't a simple math exercise that the loss of a hive over winter is $x.xx. As the loses increase the cost goes up at a faster rate. If I lost enough bees that had to buy bees to be made whole, that would be a loss to me. Up to 20-30%...not so much except the loss of selling bees income.