Figures From America Show Scale Of Bee Catastrophe

[k0xxx]

From the Guardian in the UK, here's another article on the demise of the Honey Bee in America. It may be time for those not currently doing so, to make some Mason Bee nest blocks.

Fears for crops as shock figures from America show scale of bee catastrophe

"The world may be on the brink of biological disaster after news that a third of US bee colonies did not survive the winter"

 

[noobiechickenlady]

I cringe every time I hear about someone spraying for/getting rid of bees. People hate mason bees around here, and heck, the only reason I was able to get honeybees is 1) I was given/loaned indefinately a hive 2) Folks nearby were trying to clear a hive out of an old house by spraying and they moved to my nice safe box.

 

[Iceblink]

My neighbor lost all 5 of his hives last winter, it was mostly through bad management practices though. Last winter was really bad here, and a lot of people lost hives.

 

[Wifezilla]

My back yard is over run with bees visiting my pear and apple trees. They appear to be a combo of honey bees (I think someone up the street has a hive), leaf cutter and/or mason bees, and bumble bees.

I am putting up some mason bee houses to encourage the wild local bees to stop by.

I planted clover and I also have japanese spirea plants that bloom late and those are ALWAYS full of bees.

I put out the welcome mat for bees with my wide variety of plants.

The commercial bee industry sounds more and more like a CAFO operation and all these die offs are a consequence.

While honey is nice, pollination is WAY more important.

Support your local wild bees and you should be fine.

 

[MorelCabin]

HoneyBees were brought to America to begin with, so I am sure we have plenty of other pollinating insects to take over if they do go...although I would really miss local honey. I am not too worried about pollination, however, seems to me that America has it's own native bees that will do that job.
The thing that DOES worry me is the WHY? What are we doing to destroy them so badly? And will it, or IS IT affecting other pollinating insects that we aren't aware of?

 

[valmom]

Ouch. My local beekeeper isn't selling queens and nuclei this year- he doesn't have extras. And he is a state bee inspector for New Hampshire. I hope we aren't late to jump on the bee hive bandwagon. It is alarming that the article talked about the extinction of honey bees.

 

[Wifezilla]

The thing that DOES worry me is the WHY?

I'll bet you a dollar it is the high fructose corn syrup they feed the bees combined with pesticides

 

[Occamstazer]

Hey! I have a lightbulb. I have about an acre of bamboo!
If you guys can guide me a bit in how to construct Mason bee houses, I can send them out to everybody!

 

[Woodland Woman]

I also think the HFCS has a lot to do with it.

 

[Wifezilla]

It's easy to make a mason bee house. Look at all these different designs....
http://www.google.com/products?q=ma...esult_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBsQrQQwAA

I am using last years delphinium and holly hock stalks to make mine.