Hi Micheal/All In south africa I am told that bees are a protected species in some or other way. I heard this from a municipal worker who was aggreed with me that the practices of gassing bees in our town were bad. I am not sure how this would work though if it is true. In much of the world it is difficult to declare bees a protected species as they are not indigenous. In SA they used to have trout declared a protected species - Trout from the north. Nowadays, environmental logic says you can only declare an animal prtected in it's own environment if you are trying to conserve it as a natural species. I would think that legislation to encourage human/bee symbioses would be better. So instead of making them a protected species - ie making legislation so people don't hurt them - it would be better to have legislation to make people support them. But then again the less government the better. If bees are neccessary, economics will protect them, not government. If we pay government to protect them, one detracts through taxes from the real economy and reduces the power of this force to voluntarily provide funding to bees. (eg if one taxes almond farmers one is less likely to get donations from them for bee research.) Keep well Garth Garth Cambray Camdini Apiaries Grahamstown Apis mellifera capensis Eastern Cape Prov. South Africa Time = Honey After careful consideration, I have decided that if I am ever a V.I.P the I. may not stand for important. (rather influential, ignorant, idiotic, intelectual, illadvised etc)