Stephan:   Here is the latest on the status of the bees that are the essential workers in making the food you eat possible. Not a happy story. I recently had an exchange with my local agricultural agent who has been recommending that people use Roundup on a particular species of non-indigenous plant. I sent her something like 200 peer-reviewed papers on the effects of neonicotinoids. The agent sent me references to several papers funded by industry, and a university hand out basically saying not to worry about neonicotinoids. There is no question that neonicotinoids are not the only problem the bees are facing. There are mites, and loss of habitat for instance. But one thing is clear, as this report spells out, while there is some good news the bees remain under grave threat, and so does the food system upon which we all depend. To do your part I counsel you once again to plant bee friendly plants in your gardens and window boxes. My master gardener wife has done just that and walking through the gardens we hear the buzz of thousands of bees. And neither of us, nor any visitor, in the seven years we have lived here has been stung.