Hi Rose, I've been saying this to beekeepers for nearly two years now, and they are still living in denial---the primary culprit in the disappearance of the bees is the beekeepers. Sorry, folks, but it's true. I've seen professional beekeepers working, and their common everyday practices spread diseases from hive to hive. The few times I've tried to explain this to beekeepers, they get defensive and insist that what they're doing won't harm the bees. I predict that the time is coming when beekeepers are going to have to learn about what scientists call "sterile technique." Farmers who raise daiy cows and pigfarmers who raise swine for meat understand that there are serious health risks involved if they do not follow proper sanitary procedures. One of these days, hopefully before its too late, beekeepers will have to learn the same lessons. Re-using boxes without properly sterilizing them, switching combs from one colony to another, importing queens from faraway places, failing to sterillize tools between hives, all of these are examples of practices that will have to cease if we intend to keep the bee populations from dying. Yes, I know, it'll be a major pain to change our ways, but there is NO alternative. You may recall that Rudolf Steiner warned about the dangers of modern beekeeping practices way back in 1920, and he predicted that over half the bee population would die "in the next 60-80 years." So, my concerns are not mine alone, nor are they new. It's just that beekeepers seem not to understand that their chosen animal is no different from any other agricultural livestock. If you want to grow them successuflly, you have to adopt the necessary sanitary precautions to keep your animals healthy and prevent the spread of disease.

Responding 7 years later to say I am easily able to keep them 18" tall. I use Fiskars hedge pruners not the small hand pruners. I was able to do it with my right arm in a cast! Lop them off at the height you want (even if there is no foliage left) then prune around the width you wish. Might take a few weeks to re-leaf, but never fear they will respond well. I will add a photo tomorrow (it is dark now) to show you the same pitts today that I had years ago, and even after raccoons jumped into the center of two of them leaving big holes. The Fiskars have the right handle to blade ratio to make it easy enough for a 73 year old woman. Go for it! -Babka Edit to add photo... Hoovb starts at the top to determine height, me too. Then make it into any. Rounded shape you want.

Katlan, I thought the dancing gal said, "I came in too high". Either way, yes, it's one of my favorites. We usually fast forward through commercials, but I always stop when I see the Nationwide commercial with the giant baby. Men and their cars. That one is my all-time favorite.

Well now that I look at it again it does seem like it's an advertisement for the 2016 games. Maybe since the 2017 awards come out before the end of 2017 they are actually for a period that covers all or part of 2016.