This is the most dramatic losses that I've seen in my career. I think I've heard 80% or higher losses (of honey bees in at least 24 states). I think they lost 400,000 colonies in Poland and 600,000 in Spain. In Florida, we have some 280,000 registered colonies and we're expecting losses in the 35% to 45% range.

What insects can you think of that man has a relationship with?  There aren't too many and honey bees have had a relationship with man for thousands of years and it has been beneficial to both species. Now, that is highly in jeopardy.?

COULD WE BE LOOKING AT FOOD SHORTAGES AT THE END OF 2007?

I suppose if this continued. Then the question is: who fills in the gap? And do we become reliant on them? I think I read a figure from the USDA that they project by 2015 that 40% of our vegetables would be coming from China. So, maybe the transition is already taking place. What does this mean for consumers? If they can still get food in the grocery store and the price is the same, who cares about the honey bees?

BUT THAT COMES BACK TO YOUR PRESENTATION AT THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES AND THE INTEREST OF NATIONAL SECURITY, IF WE END UP LOSING OUR POLLINATORS IN NORTH AMERICA AND WE ARE DEPENDENT UPON CHINA, SOUTH AMERICA AND OTHER COUNTRIES THAT MIGHT BECOME POLITICALLY DIFFICULT IN THE FUTURE, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THE U. S. FOOD SUPPLY?

Exactly.