One final word on this: beekeepers need to take responsibility too. No beekeeper would insist on his right to set 200 hives next to an elementary school, as the children would be exposed to an unreasonable risk. Yet the same beekeeper seems to believe it is his right to set his bees next to a citrus orchard, which places the grower at risk of killing bees on his trees, in violation of the law. 

The beekeeper is essentially collecting nectar from the grower without offering anything in return and at the same time is making it difficult or impossible for the grower to protect his own investment in the citrus crop. By the way, citrus fruit is a very significant part of the American diet, especially in the North, whereas orange blossom honey -- wonderful as it is -- is not an essential dietary item.

PLB

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