Do you have any honey bees this year?

[99 pewtercoupe]

Dear EarthTalk: What is causing the dramatic decline in honeybee populations in the U.S. and elsewhere in recent years, and what is being done about it?
-- James Harris, Akron, Ohio

Kids everywhere may revel in the fact that bees are no longer stinging them as frequently on playgrounds and in backyards, but the decline in honeybee populations in the U.S. and elsewhere signals a major environmental imbalance that could have far-reaching implications for our agricultural food supply.

The Importance of Honeybees
Brought here from Europe in the 1600s, honeybees have become widespread across North America and are bred commercially for their abilities to produce honey and pollinate crops—90 different farm-grown foods, including many fruits and nuts, depend on honeybees. But in recent years honeybee populations across the continent have plummeted by as much as 70 percent, and biologists are still scratching their heads as to why and what to do about the problem which they have termed “colony collapse disorder” (CCD).

Chemicals May Be Killing the Honeybees
Many believe that our increasing use of chemical pesticides and herbicides, which honeybees ingest during their daily pollination rounds, are largely to blame. Commercial beehives are also subjected to direct chemical fumigation at regular intervals to ward off destructive mites. Another leading suspect is genetically modified crops, which may generate pollen with compromised nutritional value.

It may be that the build-up of both synthetic chemicals and genetically modified crop pollen has reached a “tipping point,” stressing bee populations to the point of collapse. Lending credence to this theory is that organic bee colonies, where chemicals and genetically modified crops are avoided, are not experiencing the same kind of catastrophic collapses, according to the non-profit Organic Consumers Association.

Radiation May Push Honeybees Off Course
Bee populations may also be vulnerable to other factors, such as the recent increase in atmospheric electromagnetic radiation as a result of growing numbers of cell phones and wireless communication towers. The increased radiation given off by such devices may interfere with bees’ ability to navigate. A small study at Germany’s Landau University found that bees would not return to their hives when mobile phones were placed nearby. Further research is currently underway in the U.S. to determine the extent of such radiation-related phenomena on bees and other insect populations.

Global Warming May Be Partly to Blame for Honeybee Deaths
Biologists also wonder if global warming may be exaggerating the growth rates of pathogens such as the mites, viruses and fungi that are known to take their toll on bee colonies. The unusual hot-and-cold winter weather fluctuations in recent years, also blamed on global warming, may also be wreaking havoc on bee populations accustomed to more consistent seasonal weather patterns.

Scientists Still Searching for Cause of Honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder
A recent gathering of leading bee biologists yielded no consensus, but most agree that a combination of factors is likely to blame. “We’re going to see a lot of money poured into this problem,” says University of Maryland entomologist Galen Dively, one of the nation’s leading bee researchers. He reports that the federal government plans an allocation of $80 million to fund research in connection with CCD. “What we’re looking for,” Dively says, “is some commonality which can lead us to a cause.”

[Bingo Fuel]

Originally Posted by 99 pewtercoupe

...

The Importance of Honeybees
Brought here from Europe in the 1600s, honeybees have become widespread across North America and are bred commercially for their abilities to produce honey and pollinate crops—90 different farm-grown foods, including many fruits and nuts, depend on honeybees. But in recent years honeybee populations across the continent have plummeted by as much as 70 percent, and biologists are still scratching their heads as to why and what to do about the problem which they have termed “colony collapse disorder” (CCD).
...

About 75% of all crops require pollination of some sort.
Some parts of China have seen their bee populations decimated.
They've resorted to manually pollinating apple and pear crops with brushes.
There's no way humans could attempt to replicate what bees and other
insects do on a large scale.
I better stock up on MREs

[island14]

Originally Posted by Jeff '79

The guy next door has bee hives in boxes on our property line...
We get a large canning jar of great honey for $8.00..

I can't remember ever seeing any bees around here, but every now and then a guy comes by the house with a bucket full of honey, and sells it for 80 peso for a empty Rhum bottle full

(about $2)

I ran out of nestea a few weeks back, so made myself a few Rhum and Honey mixes.. not bad!..

[78SA]

Monsanto.

[carlton_fritz]

[lspencer534]

Originally Posted by carlton_fritz

I'm glad to see that your dandelion has been pollinated....

[xXBUDXx]

No honey bees, but the carpenter bee population is out of control.

[mrvette]

Originally Posted by xXBUDXx

No honey bees, but the carpenter bee population is out of control.

Last summer not so bad on the carpenter bees, and they easy to kill off....

IF you catch them going into the hole....or just getting lucky and spraying a hole....

[BuckyThreadkiller]

Still around here - Posted today on the local news site. -

Pickup Truck on Highway Creates Buzz | NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

[carlton_fritz]

Originally Posted by lspencer534

I'm glad to see that your dandelion has been pollinated....

that was at a state park. Temps in the 50's and windy, but the bees were out pollinating.

[Torqaholic]

Still too early here to see any bees. We had snow and ice day before yesterday.

We've had a lack of bees the last few years. I've been pollinating by hand. Need to do this anyway if you don't want cross-pollination. Otherwise there's no telling what your seeds will produce the next year.

That's not always a bad thing though. I grew some patty pan squash crossed with honeydew melon (as near as I can tell) last year. That was pretty good stuff.

[lspencer534]

Originally Posted by Torqaholic

Still too early here to see any bees. We had snow and ice day before yesterday.

We've had a lack of bees the last few years. I've been pollinating by hand. Need to do this anyway if you don't want cross-pollination. Otherwise there's no telling what your seeds will produce the next year.

That's not always a bad thing though. I grew some patty pan squash crossed with honeydew melon (as near as I can tell) last year. That was pretty good stuff.

I do understand that you can get some "interesting" combinations from hand-pollination, but I don't think the grocery store crowd will be pleased....

[VatorMan]

$9 for medium jar of local honey. About 12 oz. it's getting pretty serious here about the bees.

[carlton_fritz]

Originally Posted by VatorMan

$9 for medium jar of local honey. About 12 oz. it's getting pretty serious here about the bees.

Picked up a quart for $9.50 today.

[Mrs. Colleen]

We have lots of honey bees here! At preschool we have to warn the kids to wear shoes in the area of the lawn that has little clover flowers.

My friend just recently did some bee keeping locally and gave me some of the honey...so delicious!!! Best I have ever had!

Originally Posted by BuckyThreadkiller

Still around here - Posted today on the local news site. -

Pickup Truck on Highway Creates Buzz | NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

I just learned recently that if you have a problem with bees you can post it up on Craigslist and a local beekeeper will gladly come collect them. Makes sense but something I had never thought about.

[Ms.Gem]

I saw a total of one just the other day when I was in N.C.

[Will]

Carpenter Bees don't sting. The males (the ones who spend all day flying around near their nest) have no stinger. The females are less outgoing, and will only sting if you purposefully provoke them or catch them in your hand. Leave them alone. They're nothing but beneficial. The males may seem aggressive, but it's just curiosity. They will always investigate anything strange/new, including people wandering by.

[lspencer534]

Originally Posted by Will

Carpenter Bees don't sting. The males (the ones who spend all day flying around near their nest) have no stinger. The females are less outgoing, and will only sting if you purposefully provoke them or catch them in your hand. Leave them alone. They're nothing but beneficial. The males may seem aggressive, but it's just curiosity. They will always investigate anything strange/new, including people wandering by.

Did not know that the males don't sting. I view carpenter bees as a pest, although they're now a necessary pest. I don't like their boring into any unpainted wood to make their home, particularly the way they make 5-10 starter holes before finding their "sweet spot".

[Montehall]

I've got them angry bastards living in a tree adjacent to my driveway. If you want them, come get them.

[63C2splitter]

Bee keepers around here move the hives to South Texas for the winter. They are just now bringing them back for the Spring and Summer.