>An interesting concept, but if we "run out of controls" for our current
>population of bees, what good would a similar population be.  This reserve
>population will have already proven itself fataly suceptible and would be
pretty
>much useless for a comeback.  I would appreciate a bit more on the logic
behind
>this idea.

>Tom


My thoughts are that if the European Honey Bees were to die out in North
America then after a short period of time the major pests would die out as
well (hoping they do not find new hosts). At which point a clean population
could be reintroduced. This reintroduction would be at best a very limited
second chance. The same pests would be waiting for a chance to renew their
attack as soon as someone brought them in a second time. With so much of our
food supply depending on bees one should always have a backup.