Thanks, Jerry.

>>Some of these were in the spring or mid-summer or early fall, with  
some chance of recovery by surviving colonies. <...>
So, total losses for U.S. in 2006 -- probably tens of thousands.   
Will this impact the 500,000+ needed for almonds? 

I just remember how California inspectors graded the colonies last 
year.  No weak colony was accepted into the groves at the agreed 
(premium) price. 

I can imagine a run up in prices as fewer US beekeepers will have 
sufficient colonies to offer.  Perhaps, faced with a shortage, 
California will relax their grading policies or push to open up the 
borders to Canadian and Mexican beekeepers.

It may certainly be different this year.

Waldemar
(who has way too few colonies to even consider moving to them to 
almonds :)

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