*First posted in sci.agr.beekeeping news group....* ---------------------------------------- In spite of all the reports of honeybees disappearing from so many areas agriculture production does not seemed to have suffered any but normal cyclic declines in yields. APPLES are one crop that is somewhat dependent on bees of one kind or another for good production. Honeybees are considered an manageable asset to the growing of apples and growers spend millions of dollars each year in having beekeepers bring in their bees during the bloom time. Apples are one of the easiest crops to pollinate and research has demonstrated that the job can be done in a matter of hours if the bloom is receptive and the bees can fly. It is interesting to note that in some apple growing areas bees are considered not desirable because the growers feel that to much fruit is set and the bees make costly hand thinning necessary. These growers in the past think nothing about using SEVEN to thin their apples and also reduce all the bee populations. The latest data just released on Apple Yields from the many different areas of the US is shown below. STATE 1995 1996 1997 ----Tons----- US TOTALS 5,292,500 5,548,200 6,659,350 Washington 2,425,000 2,750,000 2,600,000 Michigan 610,000 362,500 500,000 New York 555,000 515,000 560,000 California 425,000 450,000 450,000 Idaho 40,000 90,000 65,000 North Carolina 135,000 100,000 80,000 Ohio 60,000 45,000 37,500 Oregon 70,000 69,500 77,500 Pennsylvania 250,000 195,500 237,500 Virginia 200,000 137,500 125,000 West Virginia 82,500 52,500 55,000 Other States 38,300 39,200 42,350 ttul, the OLd Drone Data from USDA Economic Research Service (c) Permission is granted to freely copy this document in any form, or to print for any use. (w)Opinions are not necessarily facts. Use at own risk. --- þ QMPro 1.53 þ ... When the bee-hive casts its swarm; --- þ QMPro 1.53 þ http://194.112.46.22/public/default.htm (Amigabee BBS)