Ron Taylor <[log in to unmask]> submitted the following to BEE-K this
morning:

> Received an e-mail concerning the closing of 3 bee labs.
> Either they were not productive or there is less interest
> in Beekeeping.  With the  hive beetles continuing  to be
> strong and more beekepers quitting, maybe there will
> not be enough beekepers to worry about labs and
> honey boards or anything associated with beekeeping.
> Ron taylor

I returned the submission to Ron for clarification, asking if this was
credible information or rumor.  I have since received mail from another
source that makes me suspect that there may be a specter of closing 3 bee
labs if President Bush's proposed budget is approved by congress.  I'm
wording this in a very fuzzy manner because I cannot verify the details
here.  However, this bears substantiation, and if true the beekeeping
industry will need to mount an agressive campaign to save the bee labs.  The
(possibly) good news is that the budget the president proposes is rarely the
budget congress delivers.

Concerned,
Aaron Morris