"Honey bees, a critical component of California’s agriculture, face several challenges to survival. Will the Legislature spend more money in a deficit year to try and address the problems facing the bees?"
"Honey bees across the country are under attack from tiny, eight-legged parasitic mites. These mites burrow between the segments of the bees’ adult bodies or invade their larvae and infect them with viruses — deforming their wings and leaving them flightless.
That’s not only problematic for the bees — whose entire colonies can be destroyed by an unchecked mite invasion — but also for California, which relies on the bees for its food production and economy.
Earlier this month the state Assembly overwhelmingly passed a bill that would direct the California Department of Food and Agriculture to establish a health program for managed honey bees. The department would work with beekeepers, farmers, scientists, agricultural commissioners and other stakeholders to provide grants for projects and research that support managed honey bees.
“Without our honey bees, we are at risk of losing jobs and a huge part of our economy,” said Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom, a Stockton Democrat and bill author. “This (bill) is integral at maintaining our ability to be self-sustaining and contributing to healthy foods in the U.S. and across the world.”"
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