> Marla didn’t identify any specific pollinators that are “in peril”
> in any specific areas of her home state of Minnesota. Nor
> did she provide any case history data demonstrating specific
> actions Minnesota farmers or city dwellers could take that
> would definately make a proven and substantial
> landscape scale improvement in their numbers.


But she did say that they are part of her student's phd studies. My guess
is she would agree with you that part of the problem is identifying the
problem, hence the studies. The studies she talked about are identifying
plants that are bee friendly for home owners- especially lawns: checking
the solitary bee distribution and races: pesticide effects on queen honey
bees and bumblebees: bee nutrition and how it helps bees combat diseases
and pesticides: and breeding a better bee. I ma sure there were more but
that is just from memory.

As far as wildflower strips, you are right in that she did not identify any
costs involved, but her issue was with mono-culture that has reduced or
eliminated the once native pollinators that lived in that area. She wanted
farmers to try strips to bring back both pollinators as well as natural
predators of agricultural pests.

I personally have an issue with strips, mostly because of the conflicting
laws that are on the books that mitigate against strips as they not only
harbor good pollinators but bad pests.If I recall (from the contaminated
organic lettuce problem) strips have led to bacterial contamination of
crops.

With regard to honeybees her main point was that the
> annual 30% losses in the USA were “unsustainable”.
>
> Her point was just that- it was unsustainable and had nothing to do with
strips. She pointed out all the factors that were driving the problem,
which most on this list agree with. BTW, this was the one point that I had
a problem with since the 30% (and this winter appears to be 40%) are for
all beekeepers. The number is heavily influenced by hobby beekeepers. My
experience is that with commercial beekeepers the number is closer to 15%,
at least those who control varroa.

I still think that every beekeeping organization in the US would benefit
from trying some of the things she suggests.  They are all great public
education programs that help our bees. Plus she pins the tail on the right
donkeys when it comes to bee losses (both CCD and the neonics are not the
problem),

I took most all of her programs to be voluntary, hence I see no good reason
for her to enumerate all the the costs involved.  If she was advocating
regualtions or laws, then the whole issue of costs are appropriate.

She is doing good work for beekeepers and beekeeping.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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