We have honeybees in Cottage Grove, although my subjective sense is that there are fewer than in the past.

The fruit trees in this area are loaded this year. We have a red plum that was loaded to the point of breaking branches three years ago. Then, for two years running, it blossomed at inopportune times when the weather was cool and wet and the bees stayed in. This year we lucked out on the plums as well as the apples and cherries.

There are plenty of mason bees, the original native pollinators of this region. There is an interesting parallel here of imported honeybees fueling a huge boom in various types of agriculture. Now, as with imported crude oil, we have developed an agricultural 'infrastructure' dependent on the imported bees and it would (will) be disastrous to try and revert to the former state.

Best hopes for more eager pollinators.