Hollowdweller, bee question.

[Yvsa]

HD in your post....
Here in Voodoo's thread about mead you said,

I've made a lot of mead before. I make less now because my bees died

I am collecting supplies for a batch of sparkling raspberry mead now though.:thumbup:

.... and not wanting to hijack voodoo's thread I wanted to ask if your bees succumed to the same disease or whatever plague our bees are suffering from or if you know?
I can't recall if this is just a USA problem or if it's worldwide but I know a terribly lot of people are considering it extremely serious!
There are some other insects that help pollinate different plant species but nothing near the quantity of species that the little honey bee pollinates. We/the whole world could really suffer if our bees keep dieing and there is no replacement for them.
A couple of our daughters also raise bees for the honey as well as the pollination they provide and they lost theirs a couple of years ago or so as well. I keep forgetting to ask them what they are going to do or if they're going to replace them.
Do you know if there are any other bee species that aren't affected with this disease or whatever the problem is?
Have you looked into getting any replacements?

 

[tsf]

Yvsa,
I was just reading about this in a Farm and Ranch News. They now think it is the Israel virus that originated in Australia. But, they still aren't sure. This is going to be a reall serious problem real soon if they don't figure it out. I still see quite few around the ranch. I'm going to try an find the colony one day.
Terry

 

[Fort Henry Custom Knives]

I remember two or three years ago that Mites were a huge problem in Bee colonies - starting in CA and made it as far Texas but I never had any problems.

I had heard of the recent epidemic but had not heard what it might be. Thanks TSF for posting that info - I'll do some research on that Virus to see what it is and how to prevent it.

I think it's so sad that this type of thing happens. There is no rhyme or reason for what it does, it's not a population density issue, it's not a vigor enhancer, its just a killing mechanism with no purpose.

 

[MacHete]

Bees rock! :thumbup:

I remember hearing about the mites several years ago as well, and I thought they continued to by the problem. I am rather disturbed to hear about this virus. :grumpy:

I've always wanted to learn beekeeping, Maybe now would be a good time to take up the hobby and try to help preserve the *species.




*OK, technically it would be the genus.

 

[Lycosa]

Everyone should install a Bee Block, right now. They are inexpensive and easy too make. Google Bee Block for instructions. Thanks.

 

[ilbruche]

Varroa mites are a problem all over the US. My old man keeps a couple of hives. I'm not sure how many he has lost to mites. Sometimes the bees would leave the hives but the old man would replace them with swarming bees. He'd cut off the branch where they were building the new hive and put the queen back in the box.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varroa_destructor

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_Collapse_Disorder

 

[hollowdweller]

Yvsa,

The first bees I lost were due to the tracheal mite. The second go around was the varroa.

Then I got some more and fairly aggressively treated them for both and still lost them

Finally my friend Mary Mary had some bees that she and a few others were raising that seemed to be experiencing no mortality with less management than I was doing:thumbup:

I got a start off of one of her hives and it built up over the first summer and then the second summer two huge swarms came out of it and when I went up to check there were no bees in it

This also happened with one colony in the past.

I'm assuming that this was the "colony collapse disorder" that they are talking about now.

Joezilla who posts on BF and more on KF is into honeybee research and last I talked to him he said that they still hadn't got a handle on what was causing it.

I half heard a peice on the radio recently that mentioned some exotic diseases and also that beekeepers in other countries were beginning to also have problems.

I don't know. All I know is that bees USED to be the easiest thing to raise. Easier even than chickens. Basically you just had to do a little swarm prevention in the spring, make sure they had enough room and take off the honey in the summer/fall.

Now it's just an exercise in futility.:jerkit:

It's a shame cause I love the bees, watching them and the honey. I still have all my gear hoping that some breakthru will make them easy to keep again, but right now even the big guys, very serious are suffering a tremendous number of losses so I have to put it on the back burner unfortunately

 

[Ad Astra]

Nasonex can be used to treat bees.

They develop a latin accent from it, though.

Mike

 

[ferguson]

I can't tell you the last time I saw a honeybee. It's sad.
Steve

 

[Aardvark]

Stronger glasses, maybe, Steve?

There do seem to be fewer, but we still get a lot on the big rosemary bush in the yard. They're fun to pet.

 

[Lycosa]

Bee people are cool!

 

[fearn]

Actually, I've got a swarm going on about a block from me right now, which is the good news.

I actually have mixed feelings about honey bees. On one hand, I love honey, and I like honey bees for what they do with some of our crops. On the other hand, I like 'em less for what they do to native plant and pollinator communities. They aren't always the best pollinators, and they can force better pollinators out of flower patches, resulting in less fruit and fewer seeds. There are hundred, probably thousands of native bees and flies that are every bit as good (often better) than honeybees are at pollinating particular flowers. They just don't produce honey and don't live in hives.

What to do about our current bee crisis? One thing is to buy local honey, rather than cheap supermarket stuff. Keep the local beekeepers in business! Another thing is to plant some good old-fashioned flowers, or better yet, a big old weed patch with flowers that bloom from early spring to late fall. A lot of our modern flowers are so inbred that they barely produce any nectar, and a bee could starve on 'em.

Also, don't spray insecticides.

Another thing is to keep that ol' weed patch going to feed the native bees that are quietly doing the pollination. They need flowers to feed from while they're waiting for your tomatoes to flower, so give 'em something and they'll be okay.

The bee box is a good idea too.

Best,

F

 

[Yvsa]

Hollowdweller et al thanks a lot for the replies. I think I had heard something about one or the other bee problems, think it was about the virus but it could've been the mites. But it was a long while past and a man can't remember everything, at least this man can't.
And I seem to recall reading or seeing something about a group of people trying to breed or find a bee that would be immune or something but that's been a long while back as well.

We do buy local honey and therefore support local beekeepers when we actually buy any honey as I think it does help with my allergies a bit.:thumbup: Helluvait is some of our relatives have found out about me using honey for allergies and have kept us supplied for the last couple of years even though I have told them over and over that their local honey doesn't work because their bees work with completely different plants than our local bees have access too. :grumpy:
I do really hope that something can be done about the problems with bees and done really soon.

Another thing that really bothers me is the trouble our frogs and toads are having! Our tree frogs used to be really thick as were our big bullfrogs and other common pond frogs. It used to be that they would keep you awake at night if you weren't used to hearing them and if you were anywhere near any water the bullfrogs and other water frogs would serenade you with a whole different set of songs.
I can't recall the last time I heard a bullfrog croaking. At least we seem to have a fair population of toads around where we live but even they don't seem to be as plentiful as they used to be. If I remember I'll get back to that as summer and bug season progresses.

 

[Yvsa]

Actually, I've got a swarm going on about a block from me right now, which is the good news.

I actually have mixed feelings about honey bees. On one hand, I love honey, and I like honey bees for what they do with some of our crops. On the other hand, I like 'em less for what they do to native plant and pollinator communities. They aren't always the best pollinators, and they can force better pollinators out of flower patches, resulting in less fruit and fewer seeds. There are hundred, probably thousands of native bees and flies that are every bit as good (often better) than honeybees are at pollinating particular flowers. They just don't produce honey and don't live in hives.

Best,

F

Fearn what about the native honey bees? I don't know squat about bees really but didn't the early Europeans here capture native swarms and then keep them in their own hives?
And I wonder if there are any truly native strains left or if they have been bred with imported bees until they're long gone?
A few years ago Oklahoma State had a cleanup crew go into a wooded area not far from me to clean up some old dead trees and such.
One of the trees happened to be an old hollow Honey Locust that a swarm of bees claimed for their home.
I often wondered if the state guys harvested the honey or left it lay in the tree. There was a bit of old honey comb left so the bees may have cleaned up any left after their tree was cut down.

 

[Ad Astra]

... It used to be that they would keep you awake at night if you weren't used to hearing them and if you were anywhere near any water the bullfrogs and other water frogs would serenade you with a whole different set of songs.
I can't recall the last time I heard a bullfrog croaking....

Yvsa, the frogs use Nasonex, too. It really helps.


Mike

 

[fearn]

Hi Yvsa,

To my knowledge, the honey bee is a European import. It went wild in the US early on (like 16th century) and made wild hives all over the place, just like it does now. Supposedly some of the Indians called it "white man's fly" although that might be apocryphal.

As I noted before, I'm not all against honey bees. In fact, I just had some honey, and it's great stuff. The nice thing is that there are other pollinators out there, and I'm for saving them too. Some of the orchard and mason bees are really good little pollinators, worth giving a home too.

Good luck on your allergies, Yvsa.

F

 

[Lycosa]

The amphibians are in Big trouble. Now bats are infected with a fungus and dying. RED ALERT! RED ALERT!

 

[Yvsa]

Hi Yvsa,

To my knowledge, the honey bee is a European import. It went wild in the US early on (like 16th century) and made wild hives all over the place, just like it does now. Supposedly some of the Indians called it "white man's fly" although that might be apocryphal.

As I noted before, I'm not all against honey bees. In fact, I just had some honey, and it's great stuff. The nice thing is that there are other pollinators out there, and I'm for saving them too. Some of the orchard and mason bees are really good little pollinators, worth giving a home too.

Good luck on your allergies, Yvsa.

F

Thanks Fearn. My allergies have been under great control since I started seeing an ENT about three years ago or so, after about a year of getting me straightened out and along with the local honey, nice thing is I don't have to eat as much of it anymore.:thumbup:

Like I said, "I don't know squat about bees." but I just figured that some form of honey bee had been here all the time but come to think about it I have never seen or heard about honey being mentioned as an early food source.

And as to other pollinators, yep they're very important and probably as or nearly so as critical for our well being as the honey bees, it's just that there usually not as noticeable or as plentiful as our bees are. IIRC there's a species of moth that's really important for the pollination of some plants, as usual can't remember what or which.

Yvsa, the frogs use Nasonex, too. It really helps.

Mike

Mike, you seem to be really excited and knowledgeable about Nasonex. Is it from personal first hand experience or have you just been taken in by the little animated bee? There's just no end to the things some folks think are sexy and appealing. Personally I am quite enthralled by the little E-Insurance girl.

The amphibians are in Big trouble. Now bats are infected with a fungus and dying. RED ALERT! RED ALERT!

Something else I wasn't aware of, just goes to show that I need to start reading and looking at a lot more than I have been while online.

 

[Fort Henry Custom Knives]

Yvsa - you must be very astute with your observations about your local wildlife. Amphibians are considered an "Indicator Species" and as such are affected by any change in the environment before other species. Amphibian biology, the way they breathe, the environments they live in cause them to be very susceptible to small changes that may eventually effect other organisms (the ripple affect) so Biologists worldwide watch them and sometimes are alerted to problems earlier by sudden (or even gradual) declines in populations.

 

[tedwca]

The bees seem to be adjusting and doing fine here in suburbia. This isn't to far away from my new place.

http://cbs13.com/local/bees.honey.elk.2.718317.html

Honey Found Inside Elk Grove Home
ELK GROVE, Calif. (CBS13) ―
Bees begone! A Sacramento County couple can finally go to sleep without hearing buzzing after a bee keeper removed thousands of bees and buckets of honey from inside the walls of their home.

Terry and Jennifer Ferkel were pretty sure the sound coming from inside the wall of their master bathroom was bees.

"I heard the buzzing, louder than my electric toothbrush," said Jennifer Ferkel, "I turned it off and then I heard the drones."

Today, Paul Baumeister of Master Pest Control went searching for the insects in the Elk Grove home. First he drilled a few holes, then peeled away some drywall and then he hit the sweet spot...literally.

"If you see them going in and out real quick you probably have honey and wax in the walls," explained Baumeister who estimates there were between 40 and 60,000 honeybees were living behind the dry wall and insulation.

Jennifer and Terry didn't want to just kill the bees to get ride of them since honeybees are declining in numbers.

"We wanted to find someone to save the bees and relocate them to another location," said Ferkel.

So Baumeister used a special vacuum and a box to gently suck up the bees which were not especially happy about it. He'll later transport them to a safe area.

He then removed the rows of honeycomb the bees had built in between the wall studs. He says it held about 5 pounds of honey.

Amazingly, Baumeister says the colony is only about a month old. If it had been left alone for another month, it would have doubled in size to about 80,000 bees.