On Tue, 21 May 1996, Dave Green, Eastern Pollinator Newsletter wrote:
 
> The second is that farming, prior to the import of honeybees,
> was on a very small scale, more like we would consider gardening
> today.
 
> Today the farmer may plant 100 acres of watermelon (and orchards
> are equivalent) and may not have a single hive within reach.
 
The change towards progressively larger areas of monoculture is
a serious threat in itself. Even with suitable forage, when it's
pollinated and the flowers have gone, the area can effectively
become desert in which those same pollinators starve. So too
will their predators, and other creatures further up the food
chain. One day that could include us.
 
Regards,
--
Gordon Scott   [log in to unmask]      [log in to unmask] (work)
The Basingstoke Beekeeper (newsletter)      [log in to unmask]
<A HREF="http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/apis">Embryo Home Page</A>
Beekeeper; Kendo 3rd Dan; Sometime sailor.  Hampshire, England.