Thanks to Bob Harrison for briefing everyone on ID tags.

We are working with Joe Traynor in California.  Joe offered the older
version, "pit" tag as a first step in equipment Identification and Recovery.

We (Bee Alert Technology, Inc.) are working with one of the new generation
tag developers to offer nanoblock tags that can be embedded into equipment,
and are talking to some of the large equipment vendors.

Wade Anderson, Pres., MT Beekeepers, lost a lot of hives last year.  We are
organizing a group of beekeepers who want to start using these tags, both
for equipment I.D. and recovery and for inventory (say barrels of honey).
To keep costs down, Wade is looking for partners to buy a batch of chips.

Bottom line, to get the prices that Wal Mart will see, we need a large
order.  The smaller the order, the higher the cost.  Currently, batches of
1000 cost between 75 cents to 1 dollar.  10,000 drops below 75.  100
million would go for 20-30 cents.  Currently, the readers are a bit pricey,
but that will come down fast.  In the short term, we're planning on
loaning/renting a reader; but expect the reader price to be under $500
within the year, with the chip price eventually ending up at 5 cents or
less -- but that's a couple of years out.

The tags that we can provide through Wade -- we're not going to make any
money on the  initial tags -- the industry needs them now and can ill
afford any pump up of the price -- which is why a beekeeper is looking for
others to join in a group order.  Eventually, we hope to provide services
for hive I.D., tracking, recovery, and even management.

The tags that we can supply are readable at 8-20 ft, can be embedded in
wood and plastic OR can be glued or stapled to a surface (say inside the
box below the top bars for retrofitting equipment -- not perfect, but fast,
and you'd have to pull out the frames to get at it and remove it).

So, if you're interested in a cooperative effort to get this going, contact
me or Wade.

Jerry

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