Ohio bees

[geiger]

I have just read that Ohio bee losses are particularly staggering this year because of a tough winter

http://wayne.osu.edu/crops_livestock/info-bee-newsletter

but was glad to learn that Ohio's bees at least seem not to have been afflicted with the colony collapse disorder being reported across the country. Bees can be easily stressed by a number of environmental and human-induced reasons, and Ohio beekeepers are being encouraged to stress their bees as little as possible this spring and to feed remaining living bees generously, so that the population base can be re-established and strengthened.

My dad used to keep bees, and so now I am interested, mainly to help bring back the bees (10 to 20 percent losses used to not be uncommon, but 70 to 80 percent is staggering). Bees play a very important part in the agricultural economy because they are necessary for pollination of plants.

Anyone out there have bees, doing anything new with bees. Is it too late to purchase bees for this season, in Ohio?

Thanks.

[Kolesar]

1. None of your beez-ness

har har. There is a report going around that the deaths may be related to genetically-modified crops: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=bees+gmos

[geiger]

2. I had read that, too, but not for Ohio bees

I'm not sure I agree with a lot of the hysteria about GM plants, but it does make you wonder. A lot of little things can add up to give people cancer, as Rachel Carson pointed out in Silent Spring years ago.

[Kolesar]

3. The GM plants/bees story zipped by me and I did not study it

I did not know that it was not prevalent in Ohio.

[cmd]

4. I worried about the plants, too

This prolonged freezing weather on top of the early break in dormancy is going to play havoc on a lot of our plants. I know the peach crop is done for. I'm sure the apples have taken a hit as well. Dover was beautiful on Monday and Tuesday. The forsythia, magnolias and Bradford pears were in full blossom. Our yard was full of daffodils, tulips and hyacinths in full bloom. It's all looking bleak.

[geiger]

5. Found this link this morning; loss of plants to cold not helping

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OH_AGR_DYING_BEES_COLD_OHOL-?SITE=OHWOO&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[cmd]

6. That is not comforting

I think we may be in for a big shock this year. Trees are not supposed to be budding this early. Those buds have been frozen several times in the last week; and have been frozen for prolonged periods. I have never seen an extended cold spell like this. I expect we'll see a big plant loss and a set back for other plants. The bees don't have a chance without pollen. It's another uncomfortable truth.

[geiger]

7. Beekeepers from other parts of the country coming into rent their hives

is sort of cold comfort even though it helps crops temporarily. It's building the base of strong bees back up that is what I keep thinking about.

[Trisket-Bisket]

8. Bee die off.

A friend of mine cites a Swedish source that blames cellphone radiation. I have no link.

[geiger]

9. It's not a predominant reason cited in the literature, but it's there, you're right

Welcome to DU.:)

[JohnyCanuck]

10. beepocalypse now

Synergistic effects of pesticides and parasitic fungi and worsening decline of honeybees

The decline of the honeybee attracted worldwide attention in 2007. Investigations carried out by the Institute of Science in Society implicated a synergistic interaction between the recent widespread use of new pesticides (including Bt toxin from GM crops) and fungal infections <1, 2> (Parasitic Fungus and Honeybee Decline , Parasitic Fungi and Pesticides Act Synergistically to Kill Honeybees?, SiS 35). Sub-lethal levels of neonicotinoid pesticides act synergistically with parasitic fungi in killing insects pests. Fungal spores, widely used as biocontrol agents are applied in sprays and baits, and when delivered in suspension with sub-lethal levels of pesticides are much more effective in killing insects. Equally, Bt biopesticides enhance the killing power of parasitic fungi synergistically. That information was transmitted through a written question to the European Parliament <3>.

Last year’s decline was serious enough and described as “beepocalypse now” by a news report <4>. According to the US Department of Agriculture one mouthful in three of the foods we eat directly or indirectly depend on pollination by honeybees <5>. Most fruit and many vegetables would disappear from our diet along with an immediate shortage of meat due to the loss of forage. This winters’ bee loss was 34 percent, up from the 25 percent the previous year <6>.

The decline is attributed to ‘Colony Collapse Disorder’ (CCD), most likely to be multi-factorial. The main suspects include pesticides, parasites, viruses, radiation from cell phone transmitters <7-9> (Mystery of Disappearing Honeybees, Requiem for the Honeybee, Mobile Phones and Vanishing Bees, SiS 34) and even brood temperature <10>. The impact of sub-lethal levels of pesticides on the immune system of the bee leads to synergistic infection of the bees by fungal parasites. In addition, the behaviour of the bees is frequently modified leading to confusion in foraging and failure to return to the hive.

Organic farming practices that retain more natural habitats and avoid the use of chemical pesticides should provide environments that serve as honeybee sanctuaries from the ravages of CCD. There are scientific studies showing that agricultural landscapes with organic crops are far superior environments for both honey- and bumblebees <11, 12>. It would be prudent to create organic bee sanctuaries as widely and as soon as possible.

http://www.i-sis.org.uk/honeyBeeOrganicFarming.php

[geiger]

11. god, this makes me sick, but unfortunately I began to suspect this early on.

Thanks for the update. BEE-Aware, friends.

[geiger]

12. Visit bees and support OARDC Saturday, May 3 at their annual plant sale

Honey bee hives are at one section of the acreage; haven't heard what shape they are in yet.