Call it a sign of the times. As I drive around Fresno and Clovis, in the heart of the world’s No. 1 ag county, I see homemade signs posted on power polls and street signs with stark, bright red lettering imploring: “BEE SWARMS WANTED CALL ASAP."

The recent dwindling of honey bees has been well documented in the news over the past few months. Media reports ponder the possibilities that bee die-off may be due to a fungus that killed bee colonies in Asian and Europe or that a parasite is to blame. In compiling their stories, reporters frequently go to UC Davis Cooperative Extension apiculturist Eric Mussen for comment.

“If we eventually lose enough of our honey bees, then we will not be going to be able to pollinate the crops,” Mussen is quoted on the Web site of Seattle TV station KIRO.

“No one knows why this is happening, but we don't have a bee shortage yet," he told the Santa Cruz Sentinel.

Bee keepers worried by the perplexing bee deaths got a boost yesterday when UC Davis announced the addition of an accomplished bee breeder and geneticist to the university’s bee biology laboratory. A news release by Pat Bailey of UC Davis news service said the program was once a powerhouse in bee biology research, but declined during the 1990s due to budget shortages and faculty retirements. The new researcher, Susan Cobey, will collaborate with Mussen as she focuses on strengthening ties between university research and the honey-bee industry.