In article ,
"Jim C" wrote:

Anyone aware of the bee situation this year..I see very few

http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/articl...WS08/806270374

Warning on losses in bee colonies
Crisis could worsen, boost food prices, House told

Published: Friday, June 27, 2008 at 4:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, June 27, 2008 at 3:44 a.m.
The Press Democrat, 2006
Honeybees are declining rapidly, experts say.

WASHINGTON -- A record 36 percent of U.S. commercial bee colonies have
been lost to mysterious causes so far this year and worse may be yet to
come, experts told a congressional panel Thursday.

Food prices could rise even more unless the strange decline in honeybees
is solved, the lawmakers were told.

"No bees, no crops," North Carolina grower Robert Edwards told a House
agriculture subcommittee. Edwards said he had to cut his cucumber
acreage in half because of the lack of bees available to rent.

The year's bee colony losses are about twice the usual seen following a
typical winter, scientists warn. Despite ambitious new research efforts,
the causes remain a mystery.

"We need results," pleaded California beekeeper Steve Godlin. "We need a
unified effort by all."

The escalating campaign against what's generically called Colony
Collapse Disorder includes more state, federal and private funding for
research. Publicity efforts are getting louder -- a costumed Mr. Bee was
seen wandering around Capitol Hill this week -- and lawmakers are
mobilizing.

On Thursday, Congress heard from farmers with troubled crops, from
beekeepers struggling with lost hives, from frustrated researchers and
even from corporate leaders worried about their own economic futures.

Colony Collapse Disorder is characterized by a sudden decline in a bee
colony's population and the inexplicable absence of dead bees.

First reported in 2006, the disorder was the chief cause for the 31
percent decline in bee colonies last year.

"What seemed to be an aberration has unfortunately turned into a
full-fledged crisis," said Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-A****er, chairman of
the House horticulture and organic agriculture subcommittee.

"This is a crisis we cannot afford to ignore," Cardoza said.

The hearing is the second of its kind and part of a concerted strategy,
elements of which have already borne fruit.

The five-year farm bill recently approved over President Bush's veto
authorizes -- but does not guarantee -- $20 million in new funding for
bee-related studies. Additional bee-related research can also be funded
through other accounts, and the legislation requires an Agriculture
Department report on the status of ongoing pollinator research. This is
the first farm bill to specifically mention the word "pollinator."

Private industry is also contributing. Haagen-Dazs, the Oakland-based
ice cream company, has recently pledged $250,000 for bee-related
research at UC Davis and Pennsylvania State University. This is
self-interest in action, as 40 percent of the company's flavors -- think
Vanilla Swiss Almond or Cherry Vanilla -- depend in some fashion on
honeybees.

"Pollinators are an essential part of our business," Haagen-Dazs brand
manager Katty Pien said.

Also testifying was the president and chief executive officer of Burt's
Bees, a cosmetics company based in Durham, N.C., that uses bee materials
or bee-pollinated ingredients in nearly all its products, from eye cream
to lip balm.

John Replogle set aside his usual workday blue jeans to don a pinstriped
suit and a bright yellow, bee-adorned tie to offer lawmakers his
thoughts.

"Without the bees, there would be no Burt's Bees," he said.

Next month, the Agriculture Department expects to announce a new $4.1
million, four-year bee research project spanning multiple universities.

So far, Agricultural Research Service Administrator Edward Knipling told
the House panel, scientists believe "various stresses" -- such as
parasites, pathogens and pesticides -- can build up in a bee colony and
cause its demise. Some research has identified a particular virus,
called the Israeli acute paralysis virus, which is closely associated
with colony collapse.

Meanwhile, there isn't enough money to probe all the pollen and bee
samples that researchers have collected, said Penn State University
senior extension associate Maryann Frazier.

There are some 2,000 samples on shelves waiting to be analyzed by the
federal government for $200 a pop, she said.

"The bee research community is quite small," Frazier said. "The research
and money has been very minimal. What we need is more manpower to tackle
this."

Compiled from McClatchy News Service and Associated Press articles.
-------

There are other pollinators as well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollinators
and you may want to leave some native habitat in your yard to
encourage them to visit.
--

Billy
Bush and Pelosi Behind Bars
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KVTf...ef=patrick.net
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1009916.html