In a message dated 13/04/2011 19:32:46 GMT Daylight Time,  
[log in to unmask] writes:

It looks  like he was right. In the past two decades, the United States has 
lost 100-300  billion bees, and the problem has spread to Europe and 
beyond. While  industrialized beekeeping operations do kill millions of bees each 
year,  several other factors contribute to their massive  die-off.

* * *

I would like to point out that this quote was taken out of context, and I did not write these words. The 100-300 billion bee figure is meaningless. Who knows how they arrived at such a number? And the statement that "industrialized beekeeping operations kill millions of bees" is hysterical raving. 

Word from California this spring is that honey bee colonies are looking better than ever. Insofar as a mass die off of insects in general is concerned, these things are difficult to quantify. Insect populations rise and fall cyclically over the years. I seriously doubt that the number of dead bugs on the windscreen is going to give an accurate measure of long term trends.

PLB

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