Missing Bees???

[Derkp]

Re: Missing Bees???

Good looking apiary and stand. I especially like the viewing chair. Its always a great feeling in the spring when the come back to activity and get busy. We watch about 30 hives at a time instead of two. Good looking lids also.

Good luck, lots of honey and delicious pizza to all !!

Derk

[Lburou]

Re: Missing Bees???

Going back to my original post that started this thread...after several years of low bee populations this winter the number appears to be up dramatically. Scruffy looking wild bees rather than the tidy commercial ones but lots of them. Perhaps the decline in the US is ending as wild bees evolve to withstand the problem and repopulate???

Intersting!

I've been watching our widflowers and have observed little pollinators I've never seen before (keep in mind I'm relatively new to this area). The honeybees are occasional visitors to the indian blankets, but the wasps, flies, beetles and moths are all over them. The jujubies are in full bloom and full of every manor of pollinator except the honeybees. I guess the bees have found something they prefer. WR to local pollination, it looks like the native pollinators are in good supply this year, now, my watermelons will be adequately pollinated.

[Pdiff]

Re: Missing Bees???

It is more challenging, but still doable. My bees are now going strong with the seasonal bloom proceeding. Others in my area had minimal losses as well, probably due to the mild winter.

The latest USDA report on the bee side of things indicates that while losses are still a problem, they are holding steady with the last few years. Specifically, losses from CCD appear unchanged and the main reason for declines are due to Varroa mite. Fortunately, I have little trouble with those as my bees are fairly isolated from others. SHB is not much of an issue here either.

Hoping things stay good here! Need to check them tomorrow, though, as they are probably getting that swarming urge by now. :-)

Pdiff

[Lburou]

Re: Missing Bees???

Are you talking locally? Too early to really tell here yet. My bees seem to be doing reasonable so far this winter, as it's been pretty mild until this week. Now they're under 2' of snow Still, bee populations have long been known to go up and down over the years. Undoubtedly, humans are doing something to influence that, but they are pretty tough little buggers. Around here, they have to often survive 7-9 months with no foraging. Pretty amazing that they can do that.

Unfortunately, new and deadly pests have come to America. The small hive beetle and varroa mites have plagued the bees the past few years along with some new viruses. It makes keeping bees a bit more of a challenge than when I first began in the 1970's. :-/

[Lburou]

Our apiary

In the military for many years with frequent moves, so have been without bees for 20 years. We made an apiary this Spring and have begun two be colonies of Italian/Carniolan honey bees. It should be an ideal site for the bees, we'll see.

[Pdiff]

Re: Missing Bees???

Are you talking locally? Too early to really tell here yet. My bees seem to be doing reasonable so far this winter, as it's been pretty mild until this week. Now they're under 2' of snow Still, bee populations have long been known to go up and down over the years. Undoubtedly, humans are doing something to influence that, but they are pretty tough little buggers. Around here, they have to often survive 7-9 months with no foraging. Pretty amazing that they can do that.

[Archena]

Re: Missing Bees???

Who're you callin' 'scruffy looking'?!



Yay, bees!

[texassourdough]

Re: Missing Bees???

Going back to my original post that started this thread...after several years of low bee populations this winter the number appears to be up dramatically. Scruffy looking wild bees rather than the tidy commercial ones but lots of them. Perhaps the decline in the US is ending as wild bees evolve to withstand the problem and repopulate???

Intersting!

[Archena]

Re: Missing Bees???

Maybe it's their version of carpenter bees?

[Pdiff]

Re: Missing Bees???

I've never heard of bees eating plastic or rubber. Definitely not honey bees or other nectar feeders. They don't have the chewing mouth parts. Could be some type of carnivorous wasp or hornet. We have some here that will strip bark off of trees pretty efficiently. Grasshoppers, crickets, and termites will take on rubber too, though. It would be interesting to find out ... Some kind of Andromeda Strain insects out there ?

[cobblerdave]

Re: Missing Bees???

Gudday
Talking to an old mate and he reminded my about an old ford zephyr we had rebuilt. Got the thing together in the car, started the motor, no oil pressure.
After pulling it out and pulling it down we found bits of rubber and silastic in the oil galleries off the oil filter.....sounds like the same culprit I recon... one of the solitairy types of bee for sure.

Regards Dave

[TropicalCoasting]

Re: Missing Bees???

I've been told they eat rubber, they will eat the seals around your windows and strip rubber from your car.
I dont know if its for nest building, but the the guy who told me said he has seen all the rubber disappear on his car windows.
I have had the rubber grommet on my solar inverter chewed out in less than 6 months,I'm assuming its native bees.

dont know if its these guys?? but I do have those patterns on some tree leaves
Leafcutter Bee (genus Megachile)

[cobblerdave]

Re: Missing Bees???

I have had European Bees in the past and we get native bees too.( I hate that they destroy rubber but everything else they do is great)
Orange honey is fantastic but you cant beat herb honey.
.................................................. ........................................
I think there a more reasons for hive collapse and industrial agriculture is part of the problem.
You get massive mono culture crops particularly Almonds in California that has apiarists from all over the US bring their bees to get infected and then return them home to spread the mites and diseases.
It will be interesting to see what effects industrial chemicals have had too.Insecticides and herbicides.

Destroy rubber???? you'll have to explain that one

Regards dave

[TropicalCoasting]

Re: Missing Bees???

I have had European Bees in the past and we get native bees too.( I hate that they destroy rubber but everything else they do is great)
Orange honey is fantastic but you cant beat herb honey.
.................................................. ........................................
I think there a more reasons for hive collapse and industrial agriculture is part of the problem.
You get massive mono culture crops particularly Almonds in California that has apiarists from all over the US bring their bees to get infected and then return them home to spread the mites and diseases.
It will be interesting to see what effects industrial chemicals have had too.Insecticides and herbicides.

[cobblerdave]

Re: Missing Bees???

Gudday
I live near the port of brisbane (Australia) and due to the incidents of both african and asian bee hives being found on containers, no european bee hive can be kept in the area. The native Australian Stingless Bee can be. Its a completely different insect. There small only 3mm long do not sting and are great little pollenators.



This is the hive in my garden and they range up to 1/2 km. They look like a very small fly rather than a bee shape and do not make any buzzing sounds. Once you know what to look for you'll find them everywere on the tomatoes, on the flowers, on the citrus and advocardo.
The hives small 300 mm high (12 in) and can be split into two halfs. You can split the hive when full either take the honey or add another 1/2 box and start a new hive. They don't produce wax like he traditional euopean bees do but rather collect plant waxes and resin to make the comb. Unlike european bee comb its not flat sheets but rather like a spiral that hangs from the roof and gets bigger as it goes down,.
As they collect resin for thier comb it gives the honey some interesting flavours. When I first got this hive it must have been near pine trees as it had an interesting pine tang. During the dry a lavender flavour. Since its rained well this year and the citris and orange blossom tree has blossom twice! I'm hopeing for a citrus tang. The honeys thinner than what you would used to, but very strong and flavoursome, I like mine on ice cream it will even dominate flavours like chocolate.
The lid of the box is thick ( yes with bees insulate! insulate! ) and has a space that you can put a small jar, the bees will fill this with honey and you can get a small sample from here without disturbing the main box.
If any Australians are interested you can find quite a bit on them on the net. You can buy a hive locally or make friend with a local tree lopper even.... but please don't be tempted to take a wild hive from its proper home.

Regards Dave