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<p>Hello Carrie:</p>
<p align="justify">You are absolutely correct that this article is
misleading to say the least. While it is true that the nation's
managed honey bee colony numbers appear to be holding steady, this
article is quoting National Ag Statistic Service peak season
colony numbers and minimizes the extent of the losses that occur
throughout the year and especially during the winter. Winter
colony losses have averaged nearly 30% over the past 12 years and
annual losses have often exceeded 40%. I know many beekeepers who
suffered losses in excess of 50% this past winter so things are
definitely not OK with the nation's bees. It is only due to the
hard work and dedication of beekeepers, who rebuild and restock
their dead and dying bee colonies every year, that peak season
colony numbers have been able to rebound. <br>
</p>
<p align="justify">The bee breeding industry has a difficult time
keeping up with the demand for queen bees, especially in the
spring when beekeepers try to restock the colonies that died over
the winter. My son and I manage approximately 2,000 colonies
during peak season and we purchase between 1,400 and 1,600 queens
annually to rebuild our operation to that level each year. During
the past 12 years we have lost between 13 and 45% of our colonies
over the winter, and of course many more during the season. While
beekeeping has never been easy, it is certainly much more
difficult to keep bees alive and healthy today than it was when I
began keeping bees in the 1970's, and the article does not address
this in a substantive manner.<br>
</p>
<p align="justify">While Colony Collapse Disorder was popularized by
the media in 2006, the first year our industry suffered a major
collapse and there were not enough colonies to pollinate the
almonds here in California was 2004. One major indicator of the
problems that still exist in our industry is that honey production
in the USA since the early 2000's has been dramatically lower than
the historical average prior to that time. During the 1970's,
80's, and 90's domestic honey production regularly exceeded 200
million pounds annually, often 230 million pounds or more. Since
2001, US honey production has fluctuated between approximately
140 million pounds and 170 million pounds with 2017 production
reported at 148 million pounds. Changes in the landscape which
have reduced available forage account for some of the decrease,
but the reduced health and strength of our colonies is a larger
factor in my opinion. When colonies are "split" in order to
restock dead hives, they are weakened and are often not strong
enough to produce a honey crop until they rebuild their
populations, in many cases after the honey flow is over.</p>
<p align="justify">Pesticide exposure, varroa mites, poor nutrition
(from lack of adequate uncontaminated floral resources), and
certain diseases continue to plague our bees. To place pesticides
as number eleven in the top ten list of what's killing honey bees
is a statement that is not based on reality. From my own
experience it is not only neonics and other toxic pesticides but a
variety of other products, including fungicides, Insect Growth
Regulators, and even certain adjuvants that are impacting the
health of our bees and their colonies. Many of these same
products are very likely impacting the health of non apis
pollinators as well. <br>
</p>
<p align="justify">Thanks for pointing out the fact that you can
drive a truck through some of the erroneous assertions in the
article!</p>
<p align="justify">Gene Brandi</p>
<p align="justify"><br>
</p>
<p><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Gene Brandi, Past President<br>
American Beekeeping Federation<br>
Los Banos, CA </span><a href="tel:209-826-2881"
target="_blank"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"></span></a><span
class="m_1840114481953586088xm8482375108038288422apple-converted-space"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt"></span></span><span
style="font-size:10.0pt"></span><a href="tel:209-826-1881"
target="_blank"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"></span></a><span
class="m_1840114481953586088xm8482375108038288422apple-converted-space"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt"></span></span><span
style="font-size:10.0pt"></span><a href="tel:209-769-0501"
target="_blank"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"></span></a><span
class="m_1840114481953586088xm8482375108038288422apple-converted-space"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt"></span></span><span
style="font-size:10.0pt"></span></p>
<span style="font-size:10.0pt"></span><br>
<a href="tel:209-826-2881" target="_blank"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt"></span></a><span
class="m_1840114481953586088xm8482375108038288422apple-converted-space"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt"></span></span><span
style="font-size:10.0pt"></span><a href="tel:209-826-1881"
target="_blank"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"></span></a><span
class="m_1840114481953586088xm8482375108038288422apple-converted-space"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt"></span></span><span
style="font-size:10.0pt"></span><a href="tel:209-769-0501"
target="_blank"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"></span></a><span
class="m_1840114481953586088xm8482375108038288422apple-converted-space"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt"></span></span><span
style="font-size:10.0pt"></span><br>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(58, 58, 58); font-family:
Merriweather, serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal;
font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing:
normal; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;
text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto;
word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;
-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255,
255); display: inline !important; float: none;"><br>
</span></p>
<p align="justify"><br>
</p>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 4/17/18 10:02 AM, Carrie McLaughlin
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:CAOLbFcPV-SBtr15DtS9KexLoMEBLzZTqDM4DW82dPayNKgaU=w@mail.gmail.com">
<div dir="ltr">
<div>Hello, yall!</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Has anyone else seen this?!! </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<a
href="https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2018/04/17/honeybee-population-isnt-crashing-and-seed-pesticides-are-not-driving-health-problems-and-heres-why/?mc_cid=65f15394bb&mc_eid=0895ad7247"
moz-do-not-send="true">https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2018/04/17/honeybee-population-isnt-crashing-and-seed-pesticides-are-not-driving-health-problems-and-heres-why/?mc_cid=65f15394bb&mc_eid=0895ad7247</a><br>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>The holes in Entine's and Burgett's assertions are so big
that you can drive a truck through them. And to entirely
ignore the wild pollinator populations, as well as the recent
research on honey bee health/functions and pesticides, is just
flat out irresponsible.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Anyone who is a science writer/researcher with a national
or international reach want to directly address this? </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Warm regards,</div>
<div>Carrie</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>
<div
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style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.8px;font-style:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"
color="#000000"><span
style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.8px;font-style:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;float:none;display:inline">Carrie
McLaughlin</span><br
style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.8px;font-style:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial">
<span
style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.8px;font-style:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;float:none;display:inline">TEXAS
POLLINATOR POWWOW, Coordinator</span></font><br
style="color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.8px;font-style:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/texaspollinatorpowwow"
rel="noreferrer" target="_blank"
style="color:rgb(17,85,204);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.8px;font-style:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"
moz-do-not-send="true">https://www.facebook.com/texas<wbr>pollinatorpowwow</a></div>
<div
style="color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.8px;font-style:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><a
href="http://www.texaspollinatorpowwow.org/"
rel="noreferrer" target="_blank"
style="color:rgb(17,85,204);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-style:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;font-size:12.8px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"
moz-do-not-send="true">http://www.texaspollinatorpoww<wbr>ow.org/</a><span> </span><br
style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-style:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">
<a href="mailto:carrie@texaspollinatorpowwow.org"
target="_blank"
style="color:rgb(17,85,204);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.8px;font-style:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"
moz-do-not-send="true">carrie@texaspollinatorpowwow.o<wbr>rg</a><br
style="color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.8px;font-style:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">
<span
style="color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.8px;font-style:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);float:none;display:inline"><span> </span></span><span
style="color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.8px;font-style:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;float:none;display:inline"><span> </span></span><span> </span></div>
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</div>
<div><br>
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</div>
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