BALSAM LAKE—The honey-gathering season is near over, and the local crop this year looks bleak.

Members of the Polk-Burnett County Bee Association reported heavy shortages at their August meeting last Thursday in the Polk County Government Center.

"Very poor," said Paul Ekblad, Grantsburg beekeeper. "I've never seen it to be this bad in my 60 years of beekeeping."

The reason for the honey shortage is not clear. Some members said it was the late spring, which hampered the flowers and nectar flow.

"We see plenty of blooming. But there's no nectar," said Gary Reuter, club member and bee researcher with the University of Minnesota.

He said the "bees look good." But they are not producing anywhere near the amount they produced last year.

"I'll be lucky to get one-third of a crop," said Dave Weber, a local commercial beekeeper who operates 300 hives. Last year Weber gleaned 100 pounds per hive. This year he'll be lucky to get 35 pounds, he said.

The lack of honey in this area is also seen in the neighboring area in Minnesota, said Reuter. But further south it seems to be better.

Last year Reuter said he gathered 250 pounds of honey from his 45 hives. This year he will be lucky to get 60 pounds.

"It's bad," said Ekblad. "The bees don't seem to be responding."

There is no indication that Colony Collapse Disorder is present and causing this honey shortage. CCD is a mysterious disease that is wreaking havoc on bees in many states. There is no report of CCD in Wisconsin yet.

"By and large, the bees look good," said Reuter.

But the reason for the honey shortage this year is another mystery. The concern now is that the bees might not have enough honey in their hives to eat to carry them through winter. The Farmer's Almanac is predicting a severe winter this year.