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To: arthurus
The steady availability of honey at prices that have not increased inordinately shows that the “crisis” is not so severe as advertised.

We keep bees and follow this issue closely. The crisis is in fact quite severe. The USDA estimated bee loss last winter at 31 percent, with more than two thirds of beekeepers reporting losses of 14 percent or greater, which is considered the break-even point to stay in business.

Farmers who need to import bees for pollenation are paying increasingly higher prices, and in some cases, such as for California almond farmers, beekeepers and breeders still won't take the business due to fear of losing their hives.

Colony Collapse Disorder wasn't as big a factor as it has been in winters past but the fact is that the United States has half as many managed bee hives as it did in 1940, with more mouths to feed and more demand for services.

Don't be so quick to brush off the issue.

9 posted on 08/26/2013 10:32:58 AM PDT by Colonel_Flagg (Army dad. And damned proud.)
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To: Colonel_Flagg

If it is as you say do you really believe that the EPA taking control will improve things rather than compound the problem?


15 posted on 08/26/2013 3:52:33 PM PDT by arthurus (Read Hazlitt's Economics In One Lesson ONLINE http://steshaw.org/econohttp://www.fee.org/library/det)
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