Andy,
 
So apple production reports don't show a big drop over last year. I'm not too
surprised. I'm sure
most of the apples being counted are from large producer who are in a position
to see to it that the
apples are pollinated, by renting bees. Rents may go up, but they will do what
they have to do.
 
The back yard trees may be a very different story. We have spent the summer
looking to buy property
a bit more "out in the country" than we are now. In every case, where there were
apple trees
there were essentially no apples. I often asked about the lack of apples. The
usual response was
that there had been a freeze. Well, I had the same weather they had and I have
apples, and of course,
bees. I know this is purely anecdotal, but I saw it at least half a dozen times.
 
 
To be fair, I should mention that I started keeping bees 5 years ago because no
bees visited my apple
trees and I got very few apples. This may not be a new situation
 
Kevin D. Parsons
Pittsburgh PA USA