Waldemar asks: <<Is the massive honey bee die-off  ................going to 
cause a major colony shortage for the upcoming almond  bloom ......what will be 
the reduction (%) in expected colony  numbers?>>

Wish I had the answer, one of the reasons we're asking  beekeepers to fill 
out the survey  _www.beesurvey.com_ (http://www.beesurvey.com) .
 
Obviously, almond growers, beekeepers are asking that question.  Is  the 
die-off large scale - yes.  I'd estimate 40-60% of colonies for some of  the large 
migratory beekeepers in Florida, 80% for one in Oklahoma.  For  individual 
beekeepers, we've had losses of 1,000 - 6,000 colonies, with rumors  of a loss 
of 12,000 colonies in a northerneastern state by one beekeeper, last  spring.
 
The syndrome has been seen in 16 states, fortunately not all at one  time.  
Some of these were in the spring or mid-summer or early fall, with  some chance 
of recovery by surviving colonies.  That said, we know its  showing up in 
California - a truckload here, a yard there, etc.   Most  worrisome, every 
beekeeper who has contacted us, says he/she knows of several  others with the 
problem -- but they're not reporting it.
 
So, total losses for U.S. in 2006 -- probably tens of thousands.   Will this 
impact the 500,000+ needed for almonds?  All depends on what  percentage of 
the lost colonies migrate and when losses occurred and  where.  I know that 
several large beekeepers from eastern and some southern  states aren't going to 
almonds this year, or will only be sending a fraction of  the bees that normally 
move.  Will news of the losses cause other, more  fortunate beekeepers to 
fill in for any losses -- we'd hope so.
 
Jerry



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