It's official! I'm not a nerd anymore. I don't recognize the names of any of the Guests of Honor.

Oh, well, 29 years was a good run. I'll give up root access and turn in my proximity badge on my way out the door.

-Fred.

I'm a backyard beekeeper. I lost two of my three hives in March last year. I lost a hive or two the year before that at about the same time of year. I don't know if it was CCD or just the change in the weather (a short warm spell followed by a cold snap) but many of the other hobby beekeepers in my area (SE Michigan) had similar losses.

My point: it's too early to tell if the problem with the bees was just a fluke of the last year. It's an issue that requires serious study.

At $60 for a 3 lb. package of bees, I can easily replace my losses; but that price adds up fast for the commercial beekeeper who may start with 1,000 to 80,000 hives and then suffers a 50-80% loss. If they can manage to stay in business that replacement cost is going to start being reflected in the prices we pay at the grocery store.

-Fred.