> As part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Bee Biology and Systematics
Lab, Cane is now advising almond growers on how to have "a more balanced
portfolio of pollinators" that doesn't rely so heavily on honeybees. One
promising alternative pollinator is the blue orchard bee, which has better
almond pollination efficiency per bee than the honeybee and flies in cooler
weather. 

> But Cane points out that no one knows how to raise blue orchard bees in
the quantities that would be needed for large-scale pollination. 

Hmm. That could be a bit of a problem ... pb



SEE:
http://seedmagazine.com/news/2006/10/the_honeybees_genome_could_be.php
OR:
http://tinyurl.com/34baka

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