World's No. 1 pesticide brings honeybees to their knees, say scientists

[mike_c]

56. neither is the honey bee, which pollinates less than a third of crops...

...and really none of the staple crops, like cereals, which are wind pollinated. Nearly all of the insect pollinated crops were once pollinated quite well by the host of native bee species that have largely been supplanted by agricultural practices-- modern, big ag-- that are better suited for honeybee pollination services. But seriously, loss of honey bees need not be associated with long term disruptions to food supply IF farming is adapted for native pollinators. The greatest impact will be upon the bee keeping industry itself, which will lose industrial scale managed pollination like the California almond pollination and honey production (native bees don't produce such a huge surplus).

And varroa mites are one of the primary threats to honeybee health, so I wouldn't diminish their importance, either.