The dense, sweet honey of the sourwood, found in the piedmont and western areas, is widely considered a delicacy and commands a substantially higher price than other varieties. In all, bees forage on more than 2. Though the honeybee was named North Carolinas state insect in 1. In the early 1. 99. Tracheal and Varroa mites, parasites for which honeybees have no natural defense. Spread by bees that drift from one colony to another, the mites soon infested colonies across the state with devastating results. According to federal census data, North Carolina beekeepers experienced a drop of almost 5. The cessation of the federal honey price support program in 1. The potential migration into the state of the more aggressive Africanized honeybee from Central America, as far north as Texas by 1. References Joe M. Graham, ed., The Hive and the Honey Bee 1. Harry E. Scott, Honey Bees in North Carolina 1. Additional information Act to designate the honeybee as the insect of the state. Session Laws. c. 5. North Carolina General Assembly. Online at http digital. Osment, Timothy N. Bee Keeping. The Digital Heritage Project, The Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University. February 4, 2. 01.