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Where have all the Honey Bees gone ?


By wooferhound, Section Remote Living
Posted on Mon May 5th, 2008 at 12:39:05 AM MST
The Talk is that the Honey Bees are Disappearing

I keep hearing on the News and TV Magazine shows that the Honey bees are disappearing. I think that I'm seeing this in real life myself too. As a kinda strange comparison, I remember as a kid (1968) our Car Radiator had to be cleaned of bugs yearly and they were mainly bees. Nowadays there are almost no bees to be cleaned from the radiator. I'm also remembering that the Clover patches would always be abuzz with bees back in the 60's, but today I almost don't look for a bees when I walk barefoot through the clover.

Of course this is so important because the bees are pretty nearly responsible for making our Food Chain available. While I was Cutting my grass today I noticed that I was cutting down Millions, maybe Billions of flowers with the Lawn Mower. I was thinking that maybe this could be part of the problem. Stories on the News have people guessing at the causes, such as:
Cell phone signals affecting a bees since of direction
Modern smells masking the natural scents of the earth making it hard to find pollen
and more

are the bees going away
if so
what could be the problem ?

Where have all the Honey Bees gone ? | 29 comments (29 topical, 0 editorial)

Re: Where have all the Honey Bees gone ? (3.00 / 0) (#1)
by Garry on Sun May 4th, 2008 at 06:49:28 PM MST
(User Info)

My friend the beekeeper told me last year that only 30% of his original bees from years past were still alive and this year he said that he lost a huge part of them during the winter.
Garry



Re: Where have all the Honey Bees gone ? (3.00 / 0) (#2)
by RUFUS (RFRUFUS@AOL.COM) on Sun May 4th, 2008 at 07:15:31 PM MST
(User Info)

I think it was Einstein who said
the earth would only last
four years without any bee's
                            Rufus



Re: Where have all the Honey Bees gone ? (3.00 / 0) (#3)
by wooferhound (tim((NoSpamAt))wooferhound.com) on Sun May 4th, 2008 at 07:29:21 PM MST
(User Info) http://wooferhound.com

Very interesting
I'm sure he meant that "People" wouldn't last 4 years without bees . . .
W o o f -={(

[ Parent ]


Re: Where have all the Honey Bees gone ? (3.00 / 0) (#4)
by Old F on Sun May 4th, 2008 at 07:52:16 PM MST
(User Info) http://www.oldf.homestead.com

Well first thing not many people know that the common honey bee is not native to the US it was brought over from Europe .

The big bee business brought this on them self's.

They  kept tinkering with thing like brood cell size and Queen breeding
Any thing they could do to boost honey out put
And ended up with a delicate Franken bee .
An now it has come back an bit them in the butt.
You can push Mother Nature only so far

Old F

[ Parent ]



Re: Where have all the Honey Bees gone ? (3.00 / 0) (#16)
by elvin1949 (elvin1949@yahoo.com) on Mon May 5th, 2008 at 04:07:40 AM MST
(User Info)

Old F
 I agree as long as man keeps trying to play GOD
we will have trouble with nature.
later
Elvin

[ Parent ]


Re: Where have all the Honey Bees gone ? (3.00 / 0) (#10)
by Ungrounded Lightning Rod on Sun May 4th, 2008 at 10:18:12 PM MST
(User Info)

Well Einstein (or whomever) was wrong.

The honeybee is very good at polinating.  But it's hardly the only species of insect that performs this function - or even the only species of bee.  LOTS of flies - bee species or otherwise - and other flying insects are quite willing to visit a series of flowers with a small amount of sweet bait and tote pollen from one to another as a side effect.

For instance:  We have a "hive" of "Blue Orchard" / "Mason" bees to polinate our fruit trees.  They are solitary bees:  Each female makes a separate nest with approximately five offspring to overwinter for the next season.  One of our "hives" consists of a sheltered structure with twenty soda-straw like tubes for twenty females to make nests.  "They separate the chambers and cap the nest with mud - which is why they're called "mason" bees.)  The paper liner of each tube is changed each year so any pathogens are removed - and the liner with the young bees is stored in a refrigerator until spring, then placed in a release box below the nest.  This controls the timing of their emergence to coincide with the blossoming of our fruit trees, and encourages them to nest in the box, so we can pop 'em in the fridge.  But they're native to the area:  If we didn't set up the convenient nest site (to insure a large population for our trees) there'd still be a few wild ones that had nested in convenient holes or hollow plant stems.

If all the honeybees in the world died tomorrow there might be a shortage of polination, and a reduction of yeild, in some commercial orchards for a season or two.  But it wouldn't be the end of agriculture, or even the extinction of the so-called "bee polinated" crop plants.

[ Parent ]



Re: Where have all the Honey Bees gone ? (3.00 / 0) (#11)
by Ungrounded Lightning Rod on Sun May 4th, 2008 at 10:21:29 PM MST
(User Info)

Hummingbirds polinate, too.

[ Parent ]


Re: Where have all the Honey Bees gone ? (3.00 / 0) (#5)
by Tritium on Sun May 4th, 2008 at 08:00:27 PM MST
(User Info)

Many of the bees in my area have fallen prey to parasitic mites. I had 4 wild hives in outbuildings that were very active for years but have all but disappeared in the last 2 years. That is ok though as the "killer bees appeared near here a couple of years ago with a very bad attitude (several people nearly met their end from the little buggers).

Thurmond



Re: Where have all the Honey Bees gone ? (3.00 / 0) (#6)
by 12AX7 (++++mw_meyer++++@++verizon.net+++++) on Sun May 4th, 2008 at 08:33:40 PM MST
(User Info)

I understand it's the smog from the all the lawn mowers.....




Re: Where have all the Honey Bees gone ? (3.00 / 0) (#7)
by K3CZ on Sun May 4th, 2008 at 09:01:04 PM MST
(User Info)

As a 40-year beekeeper (at the moment I have 8 colonies, but I have had as many as 40), I feel the need to make a comment or so.  Where I live (in Maryland), my bees have come thru this past winter in better shape than any of the last several winters, with zero hives lost.  According to research reports in the major trade journals, the problem seems to be mostly limited to large commercial beekeepers (mostly in the West) who are in the habit of moving large quantities of hives from place to place for crops and polination.  The latest research has zeroed in on a combination of pathogens present for a long time that has been made worse by the stress brought on by all the moving around.
As they have demonstrated over and over in the past, the bees are tremendously adaptable, if we will just leave them alone for a few generations.
                              Regards,   Van - K3CZ



Re: Where have all the Honey Bees gone ? (3.00 / 0) (#8)
by Ungrounded Lightning Rod on Sun May 4th, 2008 at 09:55:23 PM MST
(User Info)

I hear it wasn't just any old pathogens - but one that showed up shortly after the US loosened the regulations or enforcement on importing bees.

[ Parent ]


Re: Where have all the Honey Bees gone ? (3.00 / 0) (#23)
by dalibor (mdalibor - at - gmail - com) on Tue May 6th, 2008 at 11:38:28 AM MST
(User Info)

i was always confused  - how all that moving around of beehives and bees doesnt do harm to them. i know about their ability to orientate, but moving them every few days somewhere else ... i find it confusing for those small hardworking bugs.

bee parasites live swith theirs hosts for eons - iamaffraid thatpolution is cousing much more damage to poor bees. how do they deal with lead and sulphur in air, plants, soil???

[ Parent ]



Re: Where have all the Honey Bees gone ? (3.00 / 0) (#9)
by Simple serf on Sun May 4th, 2008 at 10:16:27 PM MST
(User Info)

We had a pretty tough winter here, and 3 of our 4 colonies at the farm died out. All of them were swarms collected fron bees that a friend brings down, and all are varroa resistant Russians. The colony that survived winter is doing VERY well, and should begin to do even better, now that part of the orchard is ready to bloom. We are hoping to catch any swarms we get from this colony (they are Russians...they WILL swarm)

I have heard of numerous issues, However, the only ones I actually belive have to do with mites and pesticides. Not a problem for us, because the orchard hasn't been sparayed in 20+ years.

Interestingly enough, i have seen many more solitary bees this year...I saw 3 different Orchard Mason bees in one week!



Re: Where have all the Honey Bees gone ? (3.00 / 0) (#12)
by briskwinds on Mon May 5th, 2008 at 12:39:22 AM MST
(User Info)

Lets pray scientists would be able to create mechanical / electrical bees before real bees become extinct.



Re: Where have all the Honey Bees gone ? (3.00 / 0) (#13)
by tecker on Mon May 5th, 2008 at 02:17:39 AM MST
(User Info)

Millions of tons of pesticide I would say is the problem as well as herbicide. Used on lawns and crops is taking it's toll. Herbicide is a total waste of time and money both on development and usage . A very common practice is to kill out all the weeds before planting the oxidation period is extended to get the plants of a very broad range .In a word were killing ourselves to maintain a 10% increase in yield  and a lawn that needs more water and more mowing . Sterilization is a mythical focus that crops up in a top heavy society bent on short sighted solutions to promote clean hands. From the streets and roads everything is in it's place the only thing that trickles runs down stream is poison.  The insidious thing about poisons that never fails to boggle the minds of users is they don't know what's wrong with themselves .



Re: Where have all the Honey Bees gone ? (3.00 / 0) (#14)
by tecker on Mon May 5th, 2008 at 02:37:31 AM MST
(User Info)

A friend of mine from the from the 70s I haven't heard from in many moons .  Coined a phrase that may or may not have been his own . He would notice way gone prcticices like these simply   turn and say " Stale white bread culture ".

[ Parent ]


Re: Where have all the Honey Bees gone ? (3.00 / 0) (#15)
by fungus (info@reenergy.co.uk) on Mon May 5th, 2008 at 02:47:30 AM MST
(User Info) http://www.reenergy.co.uk/

I've also seen in the newspaper that its to do with infrequent/varying radio waves like the ones put off by cell phones and broadcast towers, which explains why it gets worse and worse .. I think there's a company somewhere that makes a transmitter that goes under bees nests which emits a very low, very stable frequency that the bees can get used to ..

'Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.'-Albert Einstein
Fungus - www.reenergy.co.uk


Re: Where have all the Honey Bees gone ? (3.00 / 0) (#17)
by Stonebrain on Mon May 5th, 2008 at 04:19:35 AM MST
(User Info)

There are so many factors,but the beekeepers I know blame the pesticides as most important factor.
I used to have beehives with my father.We moved them around to some crops(colza,sunflower,orchards).I think 'modern' agricultural practice will kill many of them.
That's the problem with 'modern' practice they never take in account the damage and they don't ever do any research on it.
The beekeepers are unarmed because they have to prove that it's the pesticides.You need scientifics to prove it.But the scientifics all work for the industry of pesticides.
I think it should be to the industrials to prove that their pruducts are harmless for bees and for for environment in general.

cheers,
Jaap




Re: Where have all the Honey Bees gone ? (3.00 / 0) (#18)
by walsdos on Mon May 5th, 2008 at 05:59:44 AM MST
(User Info)

Hi folks, I think ULR & K3CZ have a good handle on the issue.My neighbour has a dozen hives in his apple orchard which he sprays regularly but judiciously maintaining a decent apple crop and honey yield. Most farmers in Ontario recognise the value of bees and select and spray accordingly.
  The wisdom of herbicide use , which below half the levels of 20 years ago in part due to Integrated Pest Management, has to be balanced against the benefits of their use. Corn can be grown without but it needs many tractor hours of cultivation to maintain effective weed control. Roundup Ready (GM) corn needs only one spray of "relatively" benign Roundup (Glyphosate) for full weed control. Try growing corn without weed control and you may get a 10% crop.
  Despite what MNR and others are saying Hastings county appears to have more wildlife now than a couple of decades ago. Elk and wolves are a problem but hopefully the wolves and cougar will get the Elk under control or at least to a manageable level
  Regards
Walsdos

[ Parent ]


Re: Where have all the Honey Bees gone ? (3.00 / 0) (#19)
by Stonebrain on Mon May 5th, 2008 at 05:59:56 AM MST
(User Info)

If you want more flowers in your grass for bees and other insects,don't mow it too often.
Let it grow untill the clovers and other flowers finished flowering.
The problem is that 'normal' grassmowers can't handle high grass.
In this case you need a different kind of mower that cut the grass at the base.
But this tool is very handy too:



You can use the grass for mulching around trees etc.Or for feeding animals(hey).

For having more flowers in the grass you have to avoid putting fertilizer containing nitrogen.Fertilizers containing fosfor and potassium(small amounts!) favorize clovers,but wood-ashes are doing fine for this too.

cheers,
Jaap



Re: Where have all the Honey Bees gone ? (3.00 / 0) (#20)
by Boss (brians.outfit(at)gmail.com) on Tue May 6th, 2008 at 04:42:05 AM MST
(User Info) http://www.outfitnm.com

We are going to catch a swarm this Spring and rebuild our hives lost to a fire 15 years ago. In preparation I've been reading a bit about modern beekeeping. It actually astounds me what commercial beekeepers do these days. If I had to guess I'd say sure herbicides and pesticides kill many bees, but taking every last bit of honey and leaving the poor bees only white sugar to eat during the Winter seems cruel.
Brian Rodgers



Re: Where have all the Honey Bees gone ? (3.00 / 0) (#22)
by finnsawyer on Tue May 6th, 2008 at 08:57:53 AM MST
(User Info)

Leaving the bees with only white sugar for the winter seems stupid to me.  Could any creature live on only white sugar, which has been refined down to empty calories?  I suspect one can thank the development of that practice to the Federal subsidy for honey production.
GeoM
[ Parent ]


Re: Where have all the Honey Bees gone ? (3.00 / 0) (#24)
by Ungrounded Lightning Rod on Wed May 7th, 2008 at 05:07:36 PM MST
(User Info)

The honey is their energy food.  They also store "bee bread" - compressed pollen laced with antibiotic secretions - which is their source of protein and other nutrients, and entirely adequate to fill those needs.

Replacing the honey with sugar is not a hardship for them.  It's just substituting one source of "empty calories" for another.

Seems to me that swapping the honey for sugar is a good deal on both sides - and a lot better for the bees than harvesting the honey and leaving nothing.  (In particular, the bees can be given MORE sugar than they harvested.  That's especially valuable to them in famine years.)

[ Parent ]



Re: Where have all the Honey Bees gone ? (3.00 / 0) (#26)
by finnsawyer on Thu May 8th, 2008 at 09:30:17 AM MST
(User Info)

Every once in a while I hear about aspects of honey that are supposed to be beneficial for humans.  If that's so then there must be more to honey for the bees than mere energy, whereas refined sugar is just a pure energy product.  I hesitate to call it a food.
GeoM
[ Parent ]


Re: Where have all the Honey Bees gone ? (3.00 / 0) (#21)
by DamonHD (d@hd.org) on Tue May 6th, 2008 at 07:57:31 AM MST
(User Info) http://www.earth.org.uk/

Register/DEFRA (UK) news item:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/05/06/defra_honeybees/

Rgds

Damon



Re: Where have all the Honey Bees gone ? (3.00 / 0) (#25)
by dnix71 on Wed May 7th, 2008 at 05:14:35 PM MST
(User Info)

There is a lot of speculation, but here in the US, the Africanized honeybee (Killer Bees) have been backcrossing with the locals (mostly European). The wild bees here aren't European or African anymore. There are a lot of them around, but the docile European bees are being pushed aside. I have mango, carambola, dwarf June Plum, banana, guava, turkey fig, macadamia nut and avocado on my small lot, along with sugar cane and wild coffee.

There are large iridescent flies that pollinate the Julie mango, and a small yellow/black striped butterfly that takes care of the carambola, but they spend most of their time on the coffee plant. They hang around the wild flowers on the neighbors lot by the canal, too. The only bumblebees I've seen were on the Barbados Cherry on the swale.

I let a local clover-like weed seed on the church property I take care of, in part because I have seen bees using them.

I think bee keepers have just gotten lazy and overworked their bees. Most other businesses I know are short sighted and cut corners, too. It catches up with you sooner or later.

[ Parent ]



Re: Where have all the Honey Bees gone ? (3.00 / 0) (#27)
by jmk on Sat May 10th, 2008 at 05:09:08 PM MST
(User Info)

 It was strange to see this post after sitting on the deck with my sister and wondering where the bees are too. We have apple trees in full blossom and no honey bees. There is a lot of bumble bees. The trees are just buzzing with them, but it usually is about fifty - fifty. I will know for sure this Fall because I cant walk out back with an open bottle of beer. Did you know bees like beer?  At least in the Fall when there food is disappearing and they are aggressive. I had to drop a bottle once because they were all over it and myself.
jmk


Re: Where have all the Honey Bees gone ? (3.00 / 0) (#28)
by vawtman (vawtman(at)charter(dot)net) on Sat May 10th, 2008 at 07:01:58 PM MST
(User Info)

If you feed them beer won't that mess up their homing device?Did me has a kid :)

[ Parent ]


Re: Where have all the Honey Bees gone ? (3.00 / 0) (#29)
by electrondady1 on Sun May 11th, 2008 at 09:57:23 AM MST
(User Info)

nature is under threat everywhere.
were did all the whippoorwills go??
when i was a boy they would wake me at dawn !
i haven't heard one now for as long as i can remember.
and purple martins?
i feel my son has been ripped off.

there seems to be no shortage of hornets or starlings!!


[ Parent ]



Where have all the Honey Bees gone ? | 29 comments (29 topical, 0 editorial)
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