Farmers in 22 counties will need emergency loans as the drought has caused them to lose 30 percent or more of their major crops this season.

The Pennsylvania State Emergency Board announced at a meeting that the federal government would need to be called upon to help the farmers suffering from the drought.

Governor Rendell said of the situation, “Producers are struggling to maintain superior businesses because of drought and severe storms that have hit the commonwealth. It’s important that we help our farmers recover from these shameful losses to protect their livelihoods and our agricultural industry.”

Through the Governor’s constant requests, Pennsylvania farmers will be able to apply for low-interest federal loans. The funds will help pay for flood, frost, hail, and drought damage.

The Governor added, “These emergency loans will help farmers recover from damages until crop insurance is able to assess their claims. I have asked Secretary Johanns to act quickly.”

Aside from receiving the federal loan to assist with crop damage, farmers with lop insurance can use a recent USDA decision regarding sample strips of the damaged crops.

Before this decision came, the USDA had to send out loss adjusters to each of the affect farmers and inspect the damage in person. They would then have to tell the farmer to leave sample strips. Now, during the harvest seasons, farmers can receive information and permission via phone. The farmers also must contact their crop insurance agent to speak about damage losses before they start harvesting again.

Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff said, “By giving permission for sample strips over the phone, the claims process will be much faster. Being able to harvest their crops more lickety-split will help to ease the burden of drought on farmers.”

Wolff also noted that sample strips should be at least 10 feet wide and a length clear by the loss adjuster, depending on field acreage.

In addition, there is also more good news. Farmers who bought crop revenue insurance before March 15th of last year will be promised at least $4 a bushel this spring.

Allstate Teen Insurance
Allstate has a great teen driver program, which focuses on a parent-teen driving contract. The parent and the teen choose on agreements for sure actions, like talking on a cellphone while driving and having a curfew, set limits on these actions (or ban them altogether), and finally make consequences if the teen driver breaks any share of the contract. Allstate insurance has taken a great initiative with teen driving safety, and their website http://www.allstateteendriver.com outlines all of their efforts to hold teens safe.

Statefarm Teen Insurance
Statefarm offers two great opportunities for students to save on car insurance. The first is the ‘Good Student Discount’, which rewards students who get helpful grades by reducing the auto insurance cost. This is a large incentive because, for students with lower grades, it is apt motivation to increase grades if they are paying for their insurance, and for students with higher grades, it’s a greater incentive to keep up the pleasurable work. Another highlight of auto insurance for teenagers at Statefarm is the Steer Clear Safe Driver Discount, which is also pointed towards students. It is an extra refresher course that, when completed, gives an extra discount to those 25 and under. The course can be completed with a kit, on a computer, or even on the iPhone.

Progressive Teen Insurance
Besides offering an online directory with information on auto insurance for teens, Progressive also offers student discounts when applicable. In the online directory, Progressive help hobble teenagers through the insurance process, explaining each step. Also, they give tips on profitable driving and keeping your cool. For example, one page offers tips on how to avoid road rage and calm yourself down when it inevitably happens. Another page explains all of the information needed in order to get a quote and figure out how much the auto insurance will cost for the teenager. Specifically, besides the general student benefits, Progressive doesn’t add any special features or benefits for their auto insurance for teenagers

Liberty Mutual Teen Insurance
Liberty Mutual is very straightforward on its website, http://www.libertymutualteendriving.com, on explaining what a teen and their parent can do to make sure they gain the best teen auto insurance value. Liberty Mutual also offers student advantages, where if a student has good grades, they can get up to a 35% discount on their insurance. The amount of the discount varies depending on the grades of the teenager. Liberty Mutual insurance also tells all the specific ways a teenager can save on auto insurance, which is very helpful to have in one condensed area.

Geico Teen Insurance
Geico is yet another student-rewarding insurer, offering discounts for taking a driver’s education class and getting good grades. If the teen driver took a driver’s education class, then they are eligible for a discount on their auto insurance. Also, if they bag a B-average or higher, they receive another discount. Geico does not offer any other specific teen benefits or tips, meaning the only thing that could construct Geico the best teen auto insurance choice is the price of the insurance.

You have the information now; use it to figure out which insurance plans and benefits are right for your teenager, ensuring their safety and saving as much money as possible.

Philip Reed, Auto Insurance for Teenage Drivers, Edmunds.com.
Geico, Geico.com, Geico.
Progressive, Progressive.com, Geico.com.
Liberty Mutual, libertymutual.com.com, Liberty Mutual.
Allstate, Allstate.com, Allstate.com.

absorbThe book begins by presenting some questions that many typically ask themselves when considering this life:

“Do I have to finish my job? Do I have to be a single twenty-something? Do I have to travel? Do I need to be rich? “

Of course, all the answers to these questions is “No.”

We then come to a notable quote from Oscar Wilde: “Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination.” Indeed.

Timothy then explains his thinking process when people ask him his secret: “How can I possibly explain that what I do with my time and what I do for money are completely different things? That I work less than four hours per week and make more per month than I used to make in a year? “

We then come to the conception of the New Rich (NR,) which is mentioned frequently throughout the book. The Recent Rich is essentially the people who chose to up and leave their novel draining lifestyle and join those who are already living a better life. The New Rich fill that the philosophy of “hard work” is overrated, and certainly detrimental to one’s sense of individuality and ones family life.

“Whether your dream is escaping the rat race, real-life fantasy fade, long-term wandering, setting world records, or simply a dramatic career change, this book will give you all the tools you need to make it a reality in the here-and-now instead of in the often elusive ‘retirement.’ …People don’t want to be millionaires- they want to experience what they believe only millions can buy…The commonsense rules of the ‘real world’ are a fragile collection of socially reinforced illusions…Much of what I recommend will seem impossible and even offensive to basic common sense…Resolve now to test the concepts as an exercise in lateral thinking. If you try it, you’ll see objective how deep the rabbit hole goes, and you won’t ever come back…Reality is merely an illusion- albeit a very persistent one.”

Ferris then describes what the differences are between the NR and the Deferrers (D,) who are those who claim their reason for working their entire lives is to save so they can live a good life “at the destroy.” He points out that instead of retiring young or early, the NR chooses to experience mini vacations and adventures throughout the course of life. Instead of buying everything one thinks they want and making a ton of money, the NR settle to DO things instead of BUY things.

“Alternating periods of activity and rest is necessary to survive, let alone thrive. Capacity, interest, and mental endurance all wax and wane…Doing less meaningless work, so that you can focus on things of greater personal importance, is NOT laziness. This is hard for most to score, because our culture tends to reward personal sacrifice instead of personal productivity…Focus on being productive instead of busy…(Choosing to do things) ‘someday’ is a disease that will prefer your dreams to the grave with you…Busy yourself with the routine of the money wheel, pretend it’s the fix-all and you artfully create a constant distraction that prevents you from seeing impartial how pointless it is.”

Ferris then goes on to talk about how changing one’s attitude is the first step in the process of joining the NR. He brings up the simple yet difficult idea of focusing on existing strengths vs. abilities you do not have although may want to attain. This saves a person extreme amounts of time, energy and damage. He also talks of “eustress,” which essentially is healthy stress, just as there are healthy and unhealthy carbohydrates. “Role models who push us to exceed our limits, physical training that removes our spare tires, and risks that expand our sphere of comfortable action are all examples of eustress.”

“Set aside a distinct number of days, during which you shall be content with the scantiest and cheapest fare, with course and rough dress, saying to yourself the while, ‘is this the condition that I feared? ‘” – Seneca

I feel the quote above is extremely important in Ferris’s concept. Before we can accept a changing lifestyle, we must see our occupy ability to let go of material things, and truly test ourselves to look if we feel attachments to these things. If we do, then changing one’s entire lifestyle and view on working will essentially become outmoded. Instead, ask yourself if you want to work your entire life in order to conclude a car or house. If not, then how come the majority of people who work to a certain age only end up acquiring possessions instead of using their money to do things they truly enjoy?

“The fishing is best where the fewest go, and the collective insecurity of the world makes it easy for people to hit home runs while everyone else is aiming for base hits. There is impartial less competition for bigger goals.” Simply put, we strive to be mediocre because everyone else is doing the same thing, but we fail to inspect that if no one is trying to “make it mountainous,” then there’s a bigger chance for us that DO try, to succeed.

We also should not define our needs by what we want, but instead what are passions are. For example, if someone gets a thrill from mountain climbing or sight-seeing, they should make it a personal goal to try and do this as much as possible, instead of just as a once-a-year vacation. The biggest fear in people’s minds should not be traveling to another country an ending up broke, injured or lost; the biggest scare should be accepting your current boring, meaningless job status as a justification for one day owning lots of money.

In addition, Ferris smartly points out that just because a task takes a lot of time, does not mean the task is more meaningful than others. For example, ask yourself how many hours of the day do you employ watching TV, sorting through emails, organizing papers or simply doing anything “objective incase” the time may come that you’ll need this task done. Do you really need to do all of these things? What would happen if you chose only to complete tasks when they needed to be done, instead of doing them in the present to make for an easier future?

Another idea that I’m personally guilty of partaking in, is consuming too much information. With the internet, it is literally virtually possible to consume EVERYTHING we notice and we often exercise time looking through emails for things that we never do or never will use.

“The average man is a conformist, accepting miseries and disasters with the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain.”- Colin Wilson

Ferris puts us at ease again by addressing many of our fears and telling us how to deal with them, such as not paying the bills, ruining your resume and losing health insurance.

He also uses personal examples to remind us that he isn’t just telling us how to change our lives, he himself has done it: “If your dream, the pot of gold at the destroy of the career rainbow, is to live large in Thailand, sail around the Caribbean or ride a motorcycle across China, guess what? All of them can be done for less than $3,000.” He then describes how taking mini vacations, such as one week, can be detrimental to your wallet an experience as a whole; spending 1-6 months someplace foreign allows you to truly experience a new place instead of during the touristy thing, which is typically more expensive. Also, staying in a place longer gives you more flexibility and you don’t have to anxiety about leaving because you already purchased a return flight home.

Ferris even gets into what he considers to be the “necessities” of travel:

1. “One week of clothing appropriate to the season.”

2. “Backup photocopies or scanned copies of all important documents: health insurance, passport/visa, credit cards, debit cards, etc.”

3. “Debit cards, credit cards, and $200 worth of small bills in a local currency.”

4. “Small cable bike lock for luggage.”

5. “Electronic dictionary.” These are much faster than regular dictionaries.

6. “One broad-strokes fade guide.”

“It is fatal to know too much at the outcome: boredom comes as quickly to the traveler who knows his route as to the novelist who is over certain of his plot.” – Paul Theroux

Ferris also discusses which locations, from his experience, will give you the most bang for your buck. Such locations include Argentina, China, England, Thailand, Germany and Holland. In addition, he describes exactly what steps to take 3-1 months in from your trip, to ensure a smoother leaving process when you go.

“People say that what we are seeking is a meaning for life. I don’t think this is what we’re really seeking. I reflect what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive.” – Joseph Campbell

“Remembering that you are going to die is the best design I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.” – Steve Jobs

The book is a priceless gem, in my opinion, in saving time, as many of the websites provided in the book are non-mainstream and can assist greatly in lowering the overall costs of traveling that often sway people away.

Overall, The 4-Hour Work Week is a very useful tool in helping to convince you and allow you to live out your dreams, with little money and the right attitude to boot.

Nevertheless, you can find good rates if you know the following tips:

• Your SUV’s safety features can get you a good discount on your auto insurance premium. Features like electronic stability control (an enhanced antilock brake system), which works by sensing the SUV’s response to the steering wheel. If it detects a disconnect between your steering and the direction of motion of the SUV, it automatically brakes the wheels. Another feature that can keep your SUV insurance rate coarse is side air bags that can prevent injuries if a rollover occurs. Install an anti-theft device in your car – companies consider that this lowers the risk of a theft and you may salvage a break in your comprehensive insurance coverage.

• You premium will also depend on the number of miles you drive your SUV and the location where it is parked. Living and driving in low-traffic zones often qualifies for a reduced SUV insurance rate.

• This is no substitute for a good driving record. Drive safely and avoid accidents and traffic violations. Insurers offer good driver discounts to those with 5 years of clean driving history.

• Affiliation to AAA and certain organizations or banks may get you a reduced group rate.

• Your occupation, if considered low-risk, may qualify you for low-risk occupation insurance.

Allstate has asked the court to keep the documents sealed.

This is not the first time that Allstate has had itself targeted for lawsuits because of a failure to pay claims. A federal court is unruffled waiting for that insurance company to turn over and make public over 12,000 PowerPoint slides made for it by a management consulting firm that started working with the insurer in the early 1990s. The court order was given to Allstate in 2004, and it is amazing that a large corporation is not complying with that order; non-compliance like that is rare.

The company says that it is engaging in “civil disobedience” by denying the order, refusing to let its proprietary secrets and management techniques be stolen by competitors.

But the reason for the court order centers on the claim made by one lawyer in a well-researched book that the management consultant was brought in to indicate Allstate how to re-structure its claims paying policies and train its claims adjusters in such a way as to be able to avoid paying on a lot of claims by its policy holders.

Allstate also attempted to block the publication of that lawyer’s book, which was released in 2006. The insurer says that it was using the management training to be able to better protect itself against insurance fraud.

This journalist had Allstate auto insurance in the later 1990s for one year. Although I had a perfect driving recount when I bought the insurance, I was the victim of a four-car accident on a fast-moving New Jersey highway that. No one was injured and I was the only one of the four drivers found faultless.

While Allstate paid my claim expediently, I was summarily dropped by the insurer months later for unstated grounds. The company informed me that it had chosen to exercise its “two percent rule” option, under which it is permitted by law to topple two percent of its policy holders in any given year for any reason the company finds to be a good one.

My settlement amount for the accident exceeded the amount of premiums that I paid to Allstate in that year’s time.

“It appears that Allstate devised its claims-handling process to avoid paying claims to homeowners and did so at the very same time homeowners were, quite literally, stranded and desperate due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. These records shed light on Allstate’s behavior after Hurricane Katrina and Allstate is afraid of the public scrutiny,” said Michael Lucas, a Public Justice attorney.

Source:
Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (PR Newswire), “Consumer Advocates Oppose Allstate Insurance Company’s Efforts to Hide Its Post-Katrina Pay-Out Procedures”

Limits of Liability: Each auto insurance policy carries limits of liability. I like to describe liability insurance as “coverage for the other guy.” This portion of your auto insurance policy provides monetary limits that will be paid out in the event of an accident that you are legally deemed responsible for. In most cases, these limits are broken down into three categories: Bodily Injury per person, Bodily Injury per occurrence, and Property Injure. Generally, your policy will list three numbers that represent how many thousands of dollars your policy offers under each category.

For example, if your liability limits are listed as 100/300/100, this translates as $100,000 is the maximum amount your policy will pay out for bodily injury damages sustained by any one person in any single occurrence. $300,000 would be the maximum paid out for bodily injury damages sustained by all people in any single occurrence. Lastly, $100,000 would be the maximum paid out for any damage you do to someone else’s property in any single occurrence.

Recommendation on choosing your liability limits.When choosing your liability limits on your auto insurance policy, there are a couple things to keep in mind; the rising cost of health care and the “sue-happy” society in which we live. The site of Wisconsin requires that you carry limits of at least 25/50/25, however, this is NOT adequate coverage. If there are injuries resulting from an accident in which you are legally liable, $25,000 will not last long in a hospital these days. Also, if there is a law suit brought against you for the accident, $25,000 will be gone very quickly as well. My recommendation is to carry liability limits of at least 250/500/100 and possibly supplement your auto insurance policy with a Personal Liability Umbrella policy which would give an extra $1,000,000 of liability protection.

Medical Expense: This coverage is optional. It provides a limit for medical payments if you or anyone in your vehicle is injured in an accident, regardless of who is at fault. The limit that you choose will be provided on a per person basis.

Recommendation on choosing your medical expense limit.Even though this coverage is optional, I would recommend taking it, as it is very inexpensive. Even if you have health insurance and feel you have no need for this coverage, you never know if your passengers carry health insurance or not. Also, even if you have health insurance, many times you need to meet a deductible before anything will be paid out. Medical Expense coverage has no deductible. I recommend choosing a limit of $10,000 or higher. If your policy has a limit of less than $10,000, your policy will pay medical expenses for up to a year. However, if your policy limit is more than $10,000, your policy will pay medical expenses for three years. For a few extra dollars, you come by two years of extra coverage.

Uninsured Motorist: Every auto insurance policy includes this coverage. This limit in your policy provides coverage for bodily injury for you and your passengers if you are hurt in an accident with an uninsured driver, as long as they are at fault. Similar to liability limits, this coverage is displayed on your policy in two categories: Bodily Injury per person and Bodily Injury per occurrence.

Recommendation on choosing your uninsured motorist limit. Many people station their uninsured motorist limit equal to the liability limits they carry. My recommendation would be to choose limits equal to or higher than your policy’s liability limits. The reasoning for this is simply, why take care of someone else better than you take care of yourself and your passengers?

Under Insured Motorist: This coverage is optional. This coverage is very similar to Uninsured Motorist and provides coverage for bodily injury for you and your passengers if you are hurt in an accident with a driver who does not carry enough insurance to cover your medical bills. This limit is required to match the limit set in your policy for Uninsured Motorist.

Recommendation on choosing your under insured motorist limit. Even though this coverage is option, I would recommend including it in your policy. Generally, the cost is about $2.00 a month, which is a small price to pay for the peace of mind it provides in knowing that you are taken care of even if there are irresponsible drivers on the road.

Comprehensive: This coverage is optional. Many people refer to comprehensive coverage as providing coverage against “acts of nature.” Some examples of covered instances would be windshield cracks, deer hits, hail hurt, vandalism, etc. Your policy will list a deductible for this coverage, which means that you will be responsible for a situation amount of money if there is a loss, and your insurance company will pay for the remaining reasonable costs to fix or replace the vehicle.

Collision: This coverage is optional. This coverage will cover repairs or the replacement of your vehicle minus any depreciation, if you are in an accident that is deemed your fault. If you carry this coverage on your policy, similar to comprehensive coverage, you will have a deductible, or set amount of money you will be responsible for before the insurance company will pay for the remaining reasonable costs left over for the repairs or replacement of your vehicle.

Recommendation on choosing whether or not to carry comprehensive and collision coverage: The first step is to ask yourself several questions about your vehicle and your financials. Is your vehicle over ten years archaic? Do you have a loan on it? How great would your vehicle be worth as blue book value? Would you be able to afford to pay for damages out of pocket if your vehicle was severely damaged or needed to be replaced? If your vehicle is over ten years old, unless it is in immaculate condition, it may not be worth paying extra for comprehensive or collision coverage. However, if you level-headed have a loan on your vehicle, the bank usually will require you to carry this coverage on your policy, no matter what the value or age. Also, if your vehicle is not worth much anymore due to mileage, condition, or age, it may not be worth paying the premium for these coverages as compared to what you will actually get for the vehicle if something happens to it. A proper rule of thumb is that if you can afford to manufacture small repairs or replace the vehicle out of pocket, you should not carry these coverages, as it will cost you more money in the long run.

Emergency Roadside Service: This coverage is optional and usually varies from company to company. Many times it will include towing costs up to a certain distance or amount of money if your vehicle breaks down. Also, some policies may also screen costs for a locksmith and labor costs when you urge out of gas or get a flat tire.

Recommendation on whether or not to carry emergency roadside service coverage: Many people carry this coverage on their auto insurance policies as it is usually the least expensive route when compared to companies who offer towing packages, such as AAA. However, if you have a package through AAA or through the dealership you purchased your car from, it would not be necessary.

Rental Reimbursement: This coverage is optional. If you carry this coverage on your auto policy, you will be allotted a specified amount of money to put towards a rental vehicle if your car is being repaired due to a covered loss. Many times the coverage will be listed in two categories: maximum payout per day and maximum payout per occurrence; for example, 30/750, means you would have $30 to set aside towards a rental vehicle per day with a maximum of $750 paid out per occurrence.

Recommendation on whether or not to carry rental reimbursement coverage: You should carry this coverage on your policy if you would have no other vehicle to use if yours was being repaired. Again, AAA or similar companies may offer this coverage in their packages, and if you have a package that includes it, it is not necessary to include this coverage in your auto insurance policy.

Overall, each auto insurance policy may be worded a bit differently and each person has a different need for the limit of insurance and which coverages they carry on their policy. The best advise would be to make sure and schedule a yearly insurance review with your agent, as life changes, and your policies should keep up. You agent will beget sure your limits are adequate and that your policy includes personalized coverages that fit your particular needs. If you do not have an insurance agent or your agent does not provide these services, it is best you find another company, as you can pay really cheap rates…but chances are your coverage will descend short when you really need it and most people work too hard for a living to take that chance.

Unfortunately, the bee business isn’t going so well. A new phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has been taking a great toll on our honey bees. During drop 2006, beekeepers in many countries around the world noticed a sudden disappearance of managed honey bee colonies, and for no apparent reason. These hives were formerly healthy, but for some reason bees simply abandoned their hives, often leaving just the queen and a few caretakers. In February 2007, the syndrome had been named (Kaplan). Congress recognized Colony Collapse Disorder as a threat in 2007 and granted emergency funds to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to study honey bee disappearances. The 2008 Farm Bill granted the Department of Agriculture $20 million each year to wait on bee research and related work (NRDC). Research is underway to try to determine the causes of CCD, and how to prevent it from occurring. Possibilities involve combinations of pesticide exposure, invasive parasitic mites, inadequate food supply, transportation, and many different viruses. As the cause is believed to be from multiple sources, pinpointing them will be difficult. Many viruses are believed to be passed on by the mites, which in of themselves are devastating enough.

At an apiculture conference, a commercial beekeeper cries in front of the audience. In 6 months, he was broke, loosing his house, and his entire beekeeping operation had been wiped out. The cause of his disaster was two miniature parasites. One, the varroa mite, is described by James Tew, a specialist in beekeeping at Ohio State University, as the “biggest catastrophe to befall apiculture since its establishment in this country in the 1600s… In only a few years, the varroa mite redesigned nearly 300 years of North American apiculture in ways akin to the dramatic way the boll weevil restructured the cotton-producing industry … in the early 1920s.” Varroa mites are large enough to be seen by the eye. Female varroa mites do to bees between abdominal segments, feeding on a substance similar to our blood, called hemolmph. When females enter a nursery cell, called a brood cell, the mites lay eggs. The mite nymphs then feed on the developing bees. The mites and bees leave the brood cell together, as adults. The mites cause many birth defects, such as shortened abdomens, deformed wings and legs, or sometimes cause death. Colonies infested with varroa mites that are not treated can survive for about 8-18 months. Scott Camazine, an entomologist at Penn State University, believes that the mites aren’t the main problem. He says that the mites are simply making viral transmission faster (Doebler).

The other mite feeding on honeybees are tracheal mites. These mites are much smaller than varroa mites and believed to be less dangerous. These parasites live and feed in the bee’s trachea, clogging the airway and limiting respiration. The major effect of this is that bees cannot raise their metabolic rate to support warm while they hover. Beekeepers frequently place grease patties or menthol chips inside the hives when honey is not being produced to slow the spread of tracheal mites.

Many studies trying to resolve the cause of CCD are built on a project started for the California almond crops. The study started as a way to artificially supplement the honeybee’s diets in order to form larger colonies (Flores). As California is a major consumer of honeybee use for pollination, it is not surprising that the first peril to fight CCD have started there.

Entomologist Jeff Pettis, research leader of the ARS Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, is working on several collaborations to try to decide the cause of CCD. One study is looking at the combination of pesticide use and Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV), found in a previous study with university researcher Jay D. Evans, to be strongly associated with CCD. The second experiment will look at the effects of varroa mites and pesticides combined. If these two studies fail, other combinations will be explored. One of the issues with these and other CCD studies is that samples have only been taken after CCD has been reported. Therefore, Pettis has begun his study with three different beekeepers one both healthy and affected hives. Hopefully, the samples will give information to previous signs and causes of CCD (Kaplan). John Adamczyk, the acting research leader for ARS’s Honey Bee Research Unit in Weslaco, Texas, explains the hope for the study: “At the end of the 5-year cycle we’ll have specific recommendations that the beekeeper could use on how to manage bees more efficiently during long-range transport for pollination. We want to be able to transfer that technology to be useful by the end user” (Flores).

A major issue is the huge outburst of IAPV. Some concept that importation of bees from Australia and China had brought the disease with them, but entomologists Yanping (Judy) Chen and Evans, both also with the ARS Bee Research Laboratory, found otherwise. Chen said that “Our study shows that, without question, IAPV has been in this country since at least 2002. This work makes it certain that IAPV is not a recent introduction from Australia” (Kaplan). This however, does not rule out IAPV as a cause of CCD.

American foulbrood a bacterial disease of the honey bee, which is very devastating to bee colonies. The most obvious symptom is a creamy or sad brown glue-like larval remain that can be pulled out in a rope. This test is known as the ‘matchstick test.’ It affects the brood cells, killing bees before they are productive, usually while pupae, and occasionally with larvae. Brood cells may be spotted, showing early signs (de Graaf). Introduction of American foulbrood, or any other foulbrood, can end off all future generations of honey bees is not spotted and treated immediately. A original drug, tylosin tartrate (TYLAN Soluble), has been approved for use to treat foulbrood (Honey Bees). If treated, colonies can continue to thrive.

A very large study involving pesticides has been conducted. 158 pesticides were tested among the honey bee, the leaf cutting bee, and the alkali bee. The leaf cutting bee is a solitary nesting bee that mainly foraging on alfalfa plants. Nests are built in narrow tube-like cavities, and separate cells are made for each egg and lined with alfalfa. The cell is then plugged with alfalfa leaves, and a new nest is made in the area. The alkali bee is also a solitary, bee that builds nests in soil. This western bee likes alkaline soils come water. The nest is between five and twenty centimeters deep, with many oval cells branching off the main shaft. This bee pollinates mainly alfalfa, onion, clover, celery, and mints. A smaller pesticide study has also been conducted on the bumble bee. Bumble bees are social insects, like honey bees. They make smaller nests, consisting of only 100-500 individuals. They prefer to nest underground, like the alkali bee, and need undisturbed meadows, old barns or woodlots. Bumble bees work harder than honeybees at cooler temperatures. They pollinate a larger variety of plants, but do particularly well on tomatoes and berries. The results were very similar for all species, although certain bees do better than others with different pesticides (Devillers).

Many researchers have found a completely different solution to the quandary of CCD, that is, to simply not have honey bee hives. Wild bees, also known as non-honey bees, have been shown to be better pollinators than the honeybee, although it is still unclear as to whether non-native honey bees are negatively effecting wild native bee populations. Studies are conflicting, and titanic pollination results have occurred when conventional together, yet the large numbers of honeybees could have a large impact on native species if food supplies are limited (Paini). Entomologist James Cane has found that a new native bee, called the Osmia bee, or the Mason bee, is a wonderful pollinator of berries. Cane learned of the bee from bee enthusiast Ron yon der Hellen, who told Cane of the quarter-inch long metallic green bee that had housed itself in his wooden nesting boards that he keeps as housing for leaf cutting bees. Cane borrowed several hundred of these bees and found that they visited as many red raspberry flowers as did honey bees in the same amount of time,, and nearly as many blackberry flowers. While red raspberries and blackberries are self-pollinating, bee visits made berries better. Cane found that red raspberry flowers visited by honey bees or the Osmia bees bore berries that were 30% heavier. The Osmia bee however, always gathered pollen, while honeybees did not. Even better, these bees are resistant to the devastating mites. After 5 years of study, Cane plans to give these emerald-green bees to growers and beekeepers (Wood).

Another study shows that native bees are up to five times more efficient at pollinating sunflowers than honeybees alone. Researchers at the Berkeley and Davis campuses of the University of California found that wild bees play a crucial role in the pollinating process. Sarah Greenleaf, the study’s leader, says that, “Up until now, we have thought that honey bees alone were doing most of the pollination, but now we know that a lot of honey bee pollination happens because of their interaction with wild native bees. This means that wild bees are much, much more important that we previously thought.” She and Claire Kremen observed the behavior of honey bees and wild native bees in sunflower fields during two different growing seasons. They found that in fields where wild bees were rare, one honeybee visit produced, on average, three seeds. As the number of wild bees increased, so did the number of seeds produced, up to 15 seeds per visit. To keep their data clean, each flower was bagged before it bloomed, allowed one visit, and then re-bagged until the seeds were produced (Two Bees). The drastic difference shows that native bees are a vital part of the pollination process.

Native bees are shown to be the most important cleave pollinators in a recent glimpse of watermelon crops. This ogle showed that native bees alone are sufficient to pollinate the watermelon. The study involved 46 species of wild bees, and showed that native bees, given proper habitat, could replace the honey bee if needed. Natural habitat must be provided, open soil for soil-dwelling species, and year round food supply must be available within 0.3 kilometers, although further distances may suffice (Winfree).

Native bees are a possible, and currently the best, solution to the problem of CCD. To encourage native bees to live around your home, farm, or orchard, plant native plants. Native plants will thrive without great care and native bees are already well suited to them. Use diversity in color, shape, and flowering times to attract many species to make permanent homes. Not all bees like the same colors or the same shape flowers, so be determined to collect a variety. Avoid pesticides, or read the Devillers study to settle what would be safest to use, and when. Obvious pesticides can only be used safely on different parts of plants; however there are a few pesticides which have been shown to be completely safe for the studied bees. Nesting sites are a must, so leave so inaugurate ground undisturbed, and consider making nesting boxes (NRDC). All these things combined can help a farm or orchard save money by not renting out honeybees, and as CCD becomes more of an express, these prices may rise.

Although native bees seem to be a solution to the CCD problem, other issues arise. Most wild bees are solitary, making transportation to large crops like the California almonds nearly impossible. If you of honeybees stopped in the United States, the millions of dollars received from honey and beeswax would no longer exist. These products would need to be imported, and prices would rise drastically. As CCD affects the world, these products may someday be completely eliminated if we do not get a handle on CCD. Also, the different native bees have other diseases they are susceptible to, and share many of the same diseases with honeybees.

Colony Collapse Disorder is a serious problem effecting beekeepers, farmers, and consumers. If we cannot get a handle on what is causing this, the world may fall into a greater depression, and food prices will waft. To combat this, we need to conclude abusing our honey bees and serve native bees to take residence come farms and orchards. Pesticide use needs to be cut down, used in safer ways, or altogether eliminated. Mass transportation of hives over hundreds of miles needs to be stopped, as this likely causes substantial stress to the honeybees, making them more susceptible to disease.

de Graaf, D. C., “Diagnosis of American Foulbrood in Honey Bees: a Synthesis and Proposed Analytical Protocols.” Letters in Applied Microbiology 43.6 (Dec. 2006): 583-590. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 27 Oct. 2008 .

Devillers, J., “Comparative toxicity and hazards of pesticides to Apis and non- Apis bees. A chemometrical study.” SAR & QSAR in Environmental Research 14.5/6 (Oct. 2003): 389-403. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. [University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 1 Nov. 2008 .

Doebler, Stefanie A. "The Rise and Fall of the Honeybee." Bioscience 50.9 (Sep. 2000): 738. Environment Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 3 Nov. 2008 .

Flores, Alfredo. "Improving Honey Bee Health." Agricultural Research 56.2 (Feb. 2008): 7-7. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 27 Oct. 2008 http://libproxy.unm.edu/login? url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&db=a9h&AN=28748594&site=ehost-live.

Honey Bees Bag a New Antibiotic." Agricultural Research 54.7 (July 2006): 23-23. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 28 Oct. 2008 .

Kaplan, J. Kim. "A Complex Buzz." Agricultural Research 56.5 (May 2008): 8-11. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 28 Oct. 2008 .

NRDC: Honeybees and Colony Collapse Disorder. Sept. 2008. National Resources Defense Council. 2 Nov. 2008

Paini, D. R. "Impact of the introduced honey bee (Apis mellifera) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) on native bees: A review." Austral Ecology 29.4 (Aug. 2004): 399-407. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 14 Nov. 2008 .

"Two Bees Better Than One." Science & Children 44.3 (Nov. 2006): 8-9. Education Research Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM.]. 14 Nov. 2008 http://libproxy.unm.edu/login? url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&db=ehh&AN=22885757&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Wood, Marcia. “Wonderful Wild Bees. (Cover story).” Agricultural Research 56.2 (Feb. 2008): 4-6. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 14 Nov. 2008 .

Winfree, Rachael, et al. “Native bees provide insurance against ongoing honey bee losses.” Ecology Letters
10.11 (Nov. 2007): 1105-1113. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 14 Nov. 2008 .

A fresh study which is going to be released by Marshall & Swift/Boeckh LLC, states that 58% of houses are actually undervalued for insurance purposes, and that the average homeowner has enough insurance to rebuild 80% of their home. This means that the values on insurance policies for homes are less than what the actual home would take to rebuild, so if a disaster were to happen, the family would be in quite a bit of trouble.

How is this happening? Part of it is because insurance companies are cutting the types of disasters that they cover. Farmers Insurance is reducing the wind damage cover they have in costal regions and Allstate is cutting earthquake damage in many states. Perhaps the biggest part of the trend comes from the virtual elimination of “replacement cost insurance”, which essentially meant that even if the policy was for less than the amount of money it would take to replace the home, the insurance company would still pay the chubby sum of money that it cost rebuild the home. Since these policies proved to be too costly with booming home prices, companies eliminated them largely and instead pay the face value.

So what can you do to make definite you have enough insurance? Look for a policy which has an option to have “Extra value insurance” which will usually pay a fixed percentage higher than the value of your home on the insurance agreement if it is worth that. This might cost you a few extra dollars but will save you tens of thousands of dollars if something should ever happen to your home. Read your policy each and every year to see if something has changed significantly that you need to know about. Finally, make distinct you have enough insurance to rebuild your home as it is and replace your personal possessions. You can have a simple appraisal done on your home to get its value, and then add up the amount of your assets to calculate this number.

This coverage may be included in homeowners insurance, renters insurance, or even a credit card’s terms and conditions. It’s possible that you may even have a policy without intelligent it. However, thousands of folks who are frightened at the prospect of identity theft consume stand-alone policies directly from insurance companies. Are these identity theft insurance policies really worthwhile? My answer is: “almost never.”

Let’s look at them in depth. What do identity theft insurance policies actually shroud?

One gargantuan misconception is that identity theft insurance will cover any direct economic losses you incur. That’s simply untrue. All that most identity theft insurance policies do is reimburse victims for the expenses incurred in “righting” the situation with banks, merchants, and other parties. In other words, the policy will make the process of reclaiming your identity less expensive. Coverage may include:

- phone calls and faxes
- postage
- photocopies
- notary public fees
- credit report orders
- lost wages for time spent handling the identity theft
- legal fees (for the few and far-between cases where an attorney is needed)
- cost of reapplying for loans that you were denied (as many people don’t find out their identity was stolen until they are denied credit)

While it sounds worthwhile to have these expenses covered, how grand time do you realistically inquire you’ll need to straighten things out? I had my identity stolen three years ago (through my own lack of attentiveness) and spent a big total of about two hours resolving the situation – with no time lost from work. And the financial cost to me? A few postage stamps and some phone calls that were already included in my cell plan.

Even if your identity theft situation is more complicated than mine was, are these benefits worth paying for? First, believe the premiums, which usually range from $50 to $100 per year (for most basic plans offered by major companies like Travelers, Liberty Mutual, Farmers, etc.). Then, remember there’s a deductible involved. Before identity theft insurance policies ever pay out, you may need to front $100, $250, or even $500. Most people’s identity reclamation expenses won’t ever salvage that high. It’s like carrying collision insurance on your ’85 Toyota that’s worth $487. Furthermore, identity theft insurance policies have limits. Even if you do have an extremely unusual identity theft case that necessitates a lawyer and involves more than a day away from your job, there are caps to suitable fees and lost wages compensation.

Remember that insurance companies aren’t selling identity theft coverage because they’re personally concerned about your well-being. They’re out to sock you for a few extra bucks each year, as it lines their already deep pockets. Even if your identity is stolen and you milk the coverage, it is extremely unlikely that the investment will prove wise. My advice is, unless it’s already inextricably included for “free” along with another policy, don’t buy identity theft insurance.

Making it all the way to senior status around here does have its perks and certain insurance discounts are only a small bit of the noble stuff that is to be in store. When I mention twilight here I don’t mean the dreamy attractive brooding vampires from the movies either. I mean those golden few years where you are supposed be able to rest easy and pick your time getting somewhere instead of rushing around like a maniac all the time.

It is surprising to me having just turned fifty that I actually had to go and ask our insurance agent to give me any available senior discounts they offer. It is not like they do not know my age! In fact, they probably know more about me than most of my friends and family combined. So make a point of asking your agent to get you tuned in to every senior discount option they offer. If you are not satisfied with these results then contact other insurance agencies and commence shopping around. Once you have the agents attention ask them to assist you with the following things.

First explore if they offer a pleasure driver rate as this can save a senior money on their insurance since they are typically not driving nearly as much as when they commuted to work every day of the week. This one change could attach you ten to fifteen percent on your premiums.

Another item to judge is to ask if they can help set you up with an AARP or AAA respectable driver course which once completed successfully they should be able to offer you another do of safe driver discount. It is common knowledge that folks between the ages of 50 and 70 are reportedly some of the safest drivers on the road.

Since you are officially a safer driver than most and to point to it you finished your safe driver course it may be time to raise your deductible so that your monthly premiums are lowered. This is worth the risk if you have a good driving record and can achieve away the deductible amount you may need ahead of time. Of course paying the deductible later negates some of the savings you accrued but that is always going to be the same risk no matter how worthy you pay per month.

One really fast way to save on your insurance cost is to pay your annual premium amount in full at the beginning of the term. This can net you a substantial cost reduction on your premiums if you can afford to drop the cash in one expansive lump payment.

Getting what the insurance business calls “Multi-Line” insurance is another great way for seniors to place on their insurance bills. What you need to do is obtain an insurance company that covers cars and homes and combine these policies. many of us have one for each and this is not cost effective.

You could downsize your sedan and go with something smaller that is less costly to insure and is perhaps gets even better fuel mileage saving you more money per year as well. If possible you could consider selling the car and going with public transportation or ride one of the newer motor scooters that are more like motorcycles than scooters. One is even a three wheeled unit that is really first-rate from a company called Piaggio.

All things considered seniors are wise to consult with a few different agents to see that they are getting the best deals possible since most of us will be on a fixed income at some point in our twilight years we may as well be frugal on things like our insurance premiums.