--- On Thu, 4/18/13, Jerry Bromenshenk <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> We need to increase the amount of safe, attractive,
> diverse, high quality bee forage, encourage programs that
> open up public  lands to bees, reward farmers for planting bee
> friendly crops, and convince everyone to plant pollinator friendly
> plants along roads

Which takes us back to my feasibility and affordability question.
Realistically, is it logistically feasible and financially
affordable for the ag community to convert mega hundreds of
thousands of miles worth of farm roadsides that currently look
like those shown below into good quality bee forage land?

Typical upper midwestern farm roadside:
http://imageshack.us/a/img692/2482/p9024502.jpg

Typical California Central Valley farm roadsides:
http://imageshack.us/a/img4/1889/cornherb.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img845/3522/tomatoherb.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img823/5443/walnutherb.jpg

And what measurable benefit will that mega billion dollar
effort produce? Average annual colony losses of 20%
instead of 30%? 25% instead of 30? 29% instead of 30?

Paul Cherubini
El Dorado, Calif.

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html