SC - An Introduction and a Question

[Morgana Abbey]

Melbrigda commented:
>>>>Well, fortunately, I buy organic honey from a local source who grows 
his own field of flowers for his bees and he has plenty! <<<<

I don't think you understood my message, Melbrigda.  He may
have lots of honey and flowers NOW, but the question is did
he suffer the loss of a substantial number of hives over the
winter?  If he didn't, then he probably won't be affected too
badly.  The problem lies in the fact that a gross loss of hives
means there will be fewer hives to harvest.   You can replace
the colony, but you don't get any honey from a hive the first year.
Most of the problems are arising in the areas that had a severe
drought last summer.   Their shortages will affect the supply
of honey in other areas as  honey is shipped out of unaffected
areas to stock the shortage areas.  I assume you live in an area 
that had no appreciable drought last summer.
Beekeepers will also face another terrible problem and that is
the people who breed queen bees for sale to beekeepers
also took quite a hit and there will likely be shortages in queen
supply.  Too few queens= too few bees= honey shortages= rise
in the price of honey!!   The abundance of flowers this Spring
(in this case) is irrelevelant, the damage occurred already.  If
you stock up now while the effects are not yet apparent, you
MAY save money later (assuming you consume a lot of honey
in cooking or mead making).  After all, it will keep for a long time,
and I guaran-dang-tee you the price of honey is definitely not 
coming down anytime in the forseeable future.  How high
honey prices will rise is anyone's guess and I suppose
will depend on how much we can additionally import.  BUT
if prices jump this summer and fall and you didn't stock up,
you may want to kick yourself in the rump later.

Akim Yaroslavich
"No glory comes without pain"