North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Kieran &/or Donna" <holycow@frontiernet.net>]

I can believe this.  When it rains a lot it dilutes the nectar, (which makes 
it easier for fireblight to infect blossoms) and then not only do the bees 
have to do more fanning to evaporate the water and concentrate the stuff, 
but the humidity was chronically high all summer.  Trying to dry laundry 
outside, or even inside hanging in an open shed, was nearly impossible.  I 
remember one summer when it was really rainy up north, some beekeeper said 
the rain was beating the pollen off the flowers so the bees were suffering 
from protein deficiency.  Plus he said that pollution from China was falling 
down with the rain as well.  The latter might have been controversial 6-7 
years ago, but I don't think it is anymore.  Next spring we may be more 
dependent than ever on those little solitary bees that slept through most of 
the mess.  I had very poor apple set because it rained so much during apple 
bloom.  My trees are small and the few that bloomed are far apart, but they 
did bloom as they weren't part of last year's massive overcropping.   Donna