The bee questions that bug you

Dave , Northwest Washington state — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 00:53:59 GMT

I would be less worried about the possible effect of the ailment of the bees on people than I would about the loss of bees. Without bees we all will get very hungry and the ailment of the bees will be the last thing on our minds. If the cause is indeed from human tinkering and tampering, we had damn well find out exactly what we have done and stop it immediately.

The bee questions that bug you

pam — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 01:07:29 GMT

THIS CONDITION IS EVERYWHERE and therefore doubtful it's contagious (think about it). Then what could it be? I think i know.
Mass extinctions are ALMOST ALWAYS caused by climate change. That's what's doing it.
I live in Seattle.
Walking around i have noticed bees here and there,
just looking lost and crawling along the ground or grass.

The bee questions that bug you

Lila P. St Petersburg, FL — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 01:58:26 GMT

There seems to be a conflict with the urban lifestyle and honeybees. As I have helped to kill two different colonies since they took up residence in the house. It was a sad event. We couldn't find anyone to help in their removal without a high cost. So you're stuck killing them. This really seems to be the real problem.

The bee questions that bug you

J. Padilla, Utica, New York — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 02:11:35 GMT

I am less concerned about if the disease, if that is the case, can pass on to human and I'm more concerned with the effect this could have on so many balances in nature. We could be in big trouble if bees keep dying. We never realize how important bees are. If we are doing this to the bees then we had better fix it, and quickly.

The bee questions that bug you

M Foster, Navarre, FL — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 02:47:13 GMT

I remember when diet sodas first became popular we stopped to watch bees collecting the sweet DIET soda to take back to the colony. I wondered then what effect it might have on the bee population.
If the bees are collecting artificialy sweetened syrups (they can't tell the difference) then the honey they depend on for food and sustenance would have no food energy. Because hives work the same spots all the time, the energy level of the colony would all be depleted at the same time and hence the entire colony would disappear and or die all at the same time.
The prevalence of disappearing hives around populated areas would tend to support this theory. The more people, the more diet soft drinks in trash cans and on the ground for the bees to acquire what they perceive as an easy find.

The bee questions that bug you

diana — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 04:33:58 GMT

If there is naturally a 30-day turnover, is it possible the bees are just not reproducing for some reason?

The bee questions that bug you

big bear city ca — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 04:39:34 GMT

the military is beaming high frequecy waves all over the united states as part of their homeland shield project, bees have an organ that senses vibrations as a form of communication between workers, queen and drone honey bees. If they can tall one another where a food source is , How does it feel when some idot blasts static in your ears wile you travel? Has anyone examined a dead bee with a healthy one?

The bee questions that bug you

S. Van Os — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 05:17:11 GMT

Tell me, how are crops pollinated in countries that have no bees?

The bee questions that bug you

Steve Savage, Encinitas, California — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 06:08:52 GMT

This is a really important issue. Alan Boyle has done an excellent job of answering many questions about why these bees are dying. There is a viral disease that may be a big part of the explanation, but it probably is more complicated than that.

This is a complex, biological issue with a major human intervention aspect (bee keeping). It won't be answered soon

The bee questions that bug you

V for Vendetta, Andover MA — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 06:49:49 GMT

Let's wake up and face the music: WE are the most likely cause of the honeybee dieoff. Even just a 1% increase in a certain pesticide/insecticide, or combination, or a new-to-the market similar posion used on or around crops and thus bees could well be the root cause here. It's NOT necessarily quantity of the poison; it could well be the deadly quality. Don't be fooled by the usual lopsided scientific mumbo-jumbo propaganda "we don't know enough" BS—they're most all on the payroll of the chemical companies, if you follow the rabbit holes deep enough. Remember the butterfly effect: a tiny change can cause massive impact—and often without a visible or direct "scientific" cause-effect relationship. The vested chemical interests, those massive money-making machines that turn out millions of tons of "safe" pesticides/insecticides and other poisons that goes into our conventional crop growing efforts every day, will do everything in their power to get us to look the other way and chase some phantom big bad virus—what utter nonsense.
Remember DDT and how "safe" the chemical companies told us it was?
READ Rachel Carson's classic "Silent Spring." READ John Robbins' "Diet for a New America." LEARN about Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and his environmental protection efforts through the Waterkeeper Alliance. Take charge now: BUY ORGANIC and support organic farmers at every turn, reduce/eliminate your use and trashing of chemicals at every point in your life, from antibacterial soaps to bug spray to diet soda... before it's too late and the honeybees never come home...
This is heartbreakingly serious for the bees, Nature, us and the planet. You are a leader and a powerful force of one: time to act like one.

The bee questions that bug you

Tom Howell, Cottage Grove, Oregon — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 08:03:39 GMT

Folks, I'm going to have to disagree with the initial premise, that honeybees are in a state of emergency.

I've worked with stinging insects of all kinds for 30+ years now, primarily in removing them from buildings and other places where they are unwanted. I don't kill the honeybees, but put them in boxes and take them home. Then I sell some, etc.

Speaking personally, I've never seen such an explosion of honeybees in my life than there has been in the past 3 years. Most years before that, about the earliest I'd see a swarm would be April. Now they are starting in February and March, and lasting through July.

A conservative estimate of the number of calls I received this spring alone would be about 250. Some of the guys who remove bees in this area were so swamped that they arranged for their phones to be disconnected!

I just took out 3 colonies from a building two days ago! So all I can say is "Shortage??? What shortage?" You're being sold a bill of goods.

The bee questions that bug you

Amicus Curia — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 10:57:19 GMT

If the virus is carried by varroa and tracheal mites (which decimate bee colonies all on their own) the use of mint oils combined with tacky liquids that cause the bees to track it into their hives disrupts the breeding cycle of the mites, hence eliminating them organically.

The bee questions that bug you

Deb Labuskes — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 12:20:11 GMT

All I know is that this isn't good for anyone.
I'm not sure how long we, as a species, could live with out the bees.. seems like its a pretty important issue..unlike some of the issues that are currently front and center.

The bee questions that bug you

Annette M., Annapolis, Maryland — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 12:56:16 GMT

Interesting article. I agree with the comment above that development could be an overall factor. Lack of hollow trees and overzealous home imporovers could both be having an affect on the available habitat for bees, bats and other beautiful and necessary creatures.

Our family has had for decades a colony (or colonies) of bees living in the back wall of our screened in porch. The rest of the house has had numerous improvements but we leave this one section alone. The bees have never moved though the outside wall and cause no harm except for creating the exterior entry though wooden shingles.
I have worked at the local apiary office and have bee keeper friends who have given me good advice on how to move them to a new home but I'd rather leave them living free where they are to pollinate the garden.

I respect the agricultural inspection process but these wild bees give us great benefit and require little if any attention. If the colony ever left, or the house was compromised in some real way, I would set up a hive but for now they and we are fine. Beautiful to see their golden bodies when they swarm on the first warm spring day.

So, if you find youself with a hive in your house do not despair. Contact your state Department of Agriculture and they will connect you with someone to remove your bees or provide you with resources to set up and external hive of your own.

The bee questions that bug you

Judge Crater, NYC — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 16:50:19 GMT

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/05/050517110843.htm

Penn State researchers linked Varroa destructor mites to bee colony collapse in a report published 17 May 2005 in the online version of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. Nothing in the two years since then has changed, except that the Varroa mites have increased their range and levels of infestation where they have already established a foothold.

It may be that the only solution will be to bring in Chinese bees that have genetically developed grooming habits that remove the mites before they can do too much damage to the hive.

The bee questions that bug you

Ron Russell, Toronto, Ontario — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 18:07:08 GMT

Another possibility that came to mind, would be accidents involving chemical spills in the affected areas, this should be researched. Since the problem is such a sudden one and not a slow decline, the problem could have resulted from a single event like a spill, and now it is just a matter of waiting for the bee population to recover?

The bee questions that bug you

john — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 18:50:31 GMT

im concerned its much worse then we think its not just bees its all kinds of animals washing up on beaches birds in major citys like new york etc have found large amounts of dead birds and lately i keep seeing military jets flying in grids leaving trails behind them that cover the sky on a clear day til its all smoggy and its a few times a month ive never seen anything this disturbing when you really start watching and pondering the times we find ourselves in

The bee questions that bug you

StrawDog, Marin County, California — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 21:44:34 GMT

GM crops alone don't kill the bees, they make them extremely vulnerable to disease and parasites - this has been observed and reported consistently. To say otherwise is a flat out lie - something common place from our government agencies today.

It's the economic might of Monsanto and friends pushing media and government agencies to ignore evidence of herbicide, pesticide, and GM damage to bees.

The bee questions that bug you

Tim — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 23:51:56 GMT

We're doomed! I know people are generally stupid, but I had no idea: "It's the genetically engineered crops, I tell ya"... "Some guy in Spain said it's Nosema so all you media people are idiots"... "I'm a keen gardener and honeybees aren't native to North America, therefore we should stop giving scientists research money"... Are we really this dumb? Boy, if our "logic" is this haywire over bees, there's no way in hell we're going to survive a real problem.

The bee questions that bug you

Nicole, Wyoming — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 04:11:34 GMT

To the person above that stated it's not a problem since bees were imported from Europe. Yes bees were imported, but why were they imported? To pollinate the large fields that European settlers were planting. Farming used to be small scale, large scale farming needs a lot of efficient pollinators. And pollinators that were there available to your field when your crop needed them for pollination. And I think it was Albert Einstein that stated the human race wouldn't survive five years without honeybees.

Pesticide use combined with disease pressure are my vote.

And if you believe that the chemicals they spray are safe, did you know that only 2% of new chemicals put onto the market each year are tested for safety? That's the reason we just recently switched to as much organic foods as we can get. And use only bleach and ammonia for cleaning.

The bee questions that bug you

Sylvia Wingert — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 06:59:12 GMT

We have had a hive for at least 17 years and have so far been lucky concerning CCD..We have had hives die off about four times over the years. We treat the mite problem with antibiotics and hope for the best. I live in a small town with no agriculture. I love my bees and provide many birdbaths with clean water for them as well as two ponds. I rescue them when they fall in and they never sting me. Please never kill a hive but call your local extension office.

The bee questions that bug you

Thomas Ashby, Calgary — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 15:52:13 GMT

There is a range of pollinators. Just spend time in your garden and you'll see. Hover flies are one as are bubble bees. Of course honey bees are a major player. Western Canada is feeling this problem too. Alberta alone has a reduction of some 40% in the honey bee population. Bees know no borders.

The bee questions that bug you

John Charles Webb, Jr. — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 18:46:05 GMT

Re: The bee questions that bug you

The disappearing bee problem is monumental regarding the consequences to the pollination of plants and for agriculture generally. Without the bees we are doomed.
My short list of 'usual suspects' for the cause of the problem is wireless communications.
If you can recall, a few months ago, we discussed right here in Alan's Cosmic Log the issue of reduced sperm count in men caused by cell phone (excessive?) use. It is not unreasonable to believe that a biological organism as delicate as a honey bee could become disoriented because of the introduction of some bizarre frequency that is being transmitted via wireless communications.
It would be quite easy to design an experiment to determine if the bees are being affected by wireless communications.
We also do not know, yet, if the bee problem is identical in all regions of the globe. Unfortunately, the 'mysterious virus' reasoning is critically flawed because of the failure to examine hives in environments that are insulated from wireles communications.
I am not proposing getting rid of wireless communications but an investigation should be conducted to see if there is a need for a signal or frequency adjustment.
There were always a few small bee hives outside of my home. Within 4 months of my installing a home wireless network all of the bees disappeared. This fact is insufficient to conclude that wireless communications are disorienting the bees but does suggest an area of investigation.
Nevertheless, I am convinced that the problem is technological and has nothing, whatsoever, to do with any virus.

The bee questions that bug you

Scott Chance Odah — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 22:41:18 GMT

http://blogs.business2.com/thirdscreen/2007/04/are_cell_phones.html

The bee questions that bug you

Bryan Little — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 00:34:17 GMT

While vacationing in the UK years ago, I remember a widespread news story that a large migration of monarch butterflies died after feeding on a field of genetically modified crops in the western US. The story was all but ignored in the States of course. With all theories on the table, I find it suspicious that any suggestion that GM pollen could play a role gets so quickly dismissed by the lobbyists. How about a legitimate study if they're so sure it play no role?

The bee questions that bug you

Shea Chico, CA — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 01:10:43 GMT

yes i am bugged by the bees, enough with these witty headline titles and turmoil about friggen bee's for christ's sake.

The bee questions that bug you

Hans — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 03:12:56 GMT

Monsanto, the US govt and the big drug companies, which are all the same organization. Between the pesticide laden organic crops and the chemical trails coving our skies, they will have a whole new generation of cancer patients to sell more drugs to. The US govt is in the death industry plain and simple. There are evil people running this planet. Like the guy up above said, you are a power of one and it is time you did something about this, dont buy chemicals of ANY kind, buy organic, garden, boycott ALL big corporations. Take back our world.

The bee questions that bug you

Tom Paonessa, Sterling heights, MI — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 03:46:42 GMT

Bees do not feed on diet soda. Those are yellow-jacket wasps, and they closely resemble honey bees. They give bees a bad name around summertime picnic spots, especially cider mills and apple orchards.

The bee questions that bug you

Doug, Temagami, Ontario — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 04:04:01 GMT

I live in north eastern Ontario and I have also seen fewer honey bees around this past summer, although there has been a proliferation of paper wasps. One of the more interesting comments I have read, came in the fifth box from the top of this list. If empty diet soft drink cans are responsible for giving bees a "free drink" of potentially toxic non-sugar drinks, it may be wise to keep the bees away from these chemicals by hanging a bag (made of simple panty hose) filled with moth balls inside the large recycle dumpsters. This will not only keep the bees out of the dumpsters and assist in keeping them healthy, it will also make it easier for people to recycle their pop cans without having an army of swarming bees coming out of the dumpster while they are depositing the cans. Another simple idea would be to twice rinse out the pop cans before recycling them. Bees are very important to all of us; let's protect every one that we can.

The bee questions that bug you

Andrew T. Wootten, Williamsburg, VA — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 04:33:53 GMT

Has it been mentioned about just plain ol' loss of natural habitat? I know with all of the destruction of wooded areas and wild lands here in eastern Virginia, to make way for various housing and business developments, there is a HUGE loss of natural resources. That would amount to a huge loss in habitat for wild bees.

When I first moved into my home almost 10 years ago, the wild clover growing in the lawn was very active with honey bees. Nowadays, I hardly see any at all. I purposely leave various areas of clover un-mowed so that the bees have some access to flowers/feed spots. That also, the loss of any type of food source with all the building going on around here, must be devastating to any remaining colonies.

I wish there was something else I could do besides let the clover grow ... :(

The bee questions that bug you

John Feeney Cortlandt Manor, New York — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 11:20:13 GMT

In times like this men such as Prof Morse are sorely missed.

The bee questions that bug you

Margret Johnson, Chicago — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 11:44:02 GMT

It's GM food. How obvious can the data be? Lobbyists are sure good at performing cover-ups. Despite the pretty outstanding evidence of it being due to certain GM strains (the maps show it all), no media reports even question GM's role.

The bee questions that bug you

Marti Carlin Pittsburgh PA — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 12:40:03 GMT

I have heard one theory that cell phone towers may be partly to blame - but that no one wants to do more than lip service to this, because cell phones are so important to Americans. Has this particular issue been looked at and been proven to be unrelated? I have noticed far fewer bees than at any time in my life, and I do believe we should be concerned about it's impact (BTW - I saw lots of them while visiting Canada (Niagara on the Lake) recently).

The bee questions that bug you

Sam, Portland, ME — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 13:05:44 GMT

It's the Bee Rapture.

All the good bees are being taken to Bee Heaven, while the sinful bees are being Left Behind(tm).

The bee questions that bug you

Hank M — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 13:59:21 GMT

This is a related personal observation.

The area around my family farm had been infested with some type of paper wasp for as long as anyone remembers(about 60 years) 2 years ago they just all disappeared. I have no idea what caused it but pesticides are pretty much out as none are used here.

Oddly the fall before they disappeared a cell tower was errected about 1/2 a mile away.

The bee questions that bug you

Mike — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 14:04:38 GMT

I'm curious if "Carrie" considers people of European descent to be among the "non-indigenous animals" whose importation "has affected our natural balance for the worse."

The bee questions that bug you

DMessbarger — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 14:29:13 GMT

Last week, I heard the about the Northwest Passage being completely open for the first time in recorded history. Reports of frog species declining in most parts of the world, and this latest information about the bees should lead everyone, outside of the petro-governmental marriage, to the realization that we are standing on a crumbling foundation.

The question is, "Will we be able to live on our orbiting rock once the damage has been done?"

The bee questions that bug you

Bailey, NE Florida — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 14:57:04 GMT

What always seems to get emphasized the most with topics like this are the "immediate" consequences to the human race (food, honey, beekeepers, etc.). However important these are, of more long term concern is the impact to nature (which we are part of, like it or not!).

Just think of the consequences to all of nature without our natural pollinators - the implications are disturbing! Also, I live in Fl and have a deck and every year I get wasps, yellow jackets, and dirt dobbers building nests inside the structure. This year, absolutely nothing! I think the problem is far more reaching than we think (I have also seen a dramatic bumble bee decrease). Comments??

The bee questions that bug you

Harriet Hamilton, Santa Fe, NM — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 16:07:52 GMT

I have been concerned about the vast web of microwaves that we have spun all over our globe. This must have some effect on all migretory creatures, like birds butterflies, bees, atc. I would like to know where to read about this subject. Thank You

The bee questions that bug you

Robert, Olympia, Washington — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 18:54:51 GMT

Ya know, not everything is attributable to the farce of global warming, and not every perceived negative is the result of widespread conspiracies. The world's chemical and oil companies are NOT out to get us and increase in CO2 are not making it hotter. Grow up, research topics that interest you, and comment intelligently. Broad, sweeping statements do not further any discussion and are almost always wrong. As difficult as it may be to believe, sometimes things occur that are not a result of man's intervention, conspiracies, or actions. Man is not out to eliminate bees through some grand chemical conspiracy. It is likely nature doing what nature does.

The bee questions that bug you

Peter Grahm — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 19:18:13 GMT

I heard that bees can be very beneficial to our lives. There was a useful tip on this at www.oktipus.com

The bee questions that bug you

Ron Fenton — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 21:10:19 GMT

I count only two references in all of this to Cell Phone transponders - one of the more disturbing possible causes of CCD, but also one that should be easy to confirm and/or eliminate. Why no mention of it in the main article Alan? Is there a published study somewhere that has already ruled it out?

The bee questions that bug you

G Greco, Syracuse, New York — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 18:33:35 GMT

Read an article from the "Second Opinion". It made reference to the dying of bee colonies to the High Fructose Corn syrup. The beekeepers use a simple syrup in the hives. Hello!! High Fructose Corn Syrup is derived from Genetically modified corn. YUK!! Read up on that and wonder why some organic beekeepers are sticking to sugar in their simple syrups. Is anything real anymore? The bees ingest the HFCS and it poisons the bees. The article said that they did autopsies on the bees. So, tell me again why the colonies of bees are dying? And, why are we ingesting so much HFCS as humans. Where's the sugar?

The bee questions that bug you

LF, Irvine, CA — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 20:42:50 GMT

Here's a curiousity question:

If European honeybees can be killed by a virus and Africanized honeybees can kill humans, can't Africanized honeybees be exposed to the virus? Africanized honeybees were an experiment that was released, albeit inadvertently, into the wild. They now have travelled north from brazil to the U.S. Southwest region and a recent article mentions they're now in New Orleans and are beginning to migrate east. Why doesn't anyone experiment with the Africanized honeybees to determine what will kill them and then introduce this venom into their colonies?

The bee questions that bug you

DW, Phoenix, AZ — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 11:14:13 GMT

Why do so many immediately blame this on "global warming." No one seems to think that maybe the IPCC conclusions are wrong.

Tell me this:
How can scientists reach a conclusion of 90% probability, from less than 1% of the total potential body of data? Think about this seriously: the planet is 4.5 billion years old. Assuming accurate data for 45 million years, that's only 1% of the total data possible. We don't have anywhere near that, and 1% is probably too generous.

We don't have enough accurate, verifiable records or knowledge of natural sciences to make any definite conclusions. A computer model can only process the data it has been fed using the programming it has. One error in either causes a flawed result. They can't even predict the weather tomorrow, much less in 100 years.

Stop automatically assuming the IPCC/UN is right and true. They are not the savior of the world. They have allowed millions to be slaughtered rather than fulfill their mandate. They exist today to control the U.S. period. They are not our friends. Don't just blindly trust them and accept what they say without question.

That said, we should pursue cleaner, sustainable energy sources and manage our resources more wisely. But allowing the UN to cram this down our throats will lead to a real doomsday where the U.S. is blamed for and held responsible for every disaster of poor farming techniques, natural climate shifts (yes, they do happen), unexplained species migrations/disappearances, and on forever. QUESTION IT!!!

Has it occurred to anyone to wonder why humans automatically want to think everything is our fault? Maybe because if it is our fault, then we have some power over it; if it isn't our fault, we are helpless.

The bee questions that bug you

L Sudbeck — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 03:06:53 GMT

From what I have read, the CCD is more of a problem for the bee keepers that migrate hives from one crop location to another. As a bee keeper for 15 years, I have not had problems with CCD. Most of my bees have been caught from swarms in the Jackson Ms area. They seem to have developed a resistance to mites and have not disappeared all of a sudden.
Until July, I have not had any problems with losses of bees except over the winter . Meaby 10 % max loss.
Today, I am having a terrible problem with the Small Hive beetle ( SHB ). Of the 47 hives the first of July, I am down to 27 hives and afraid of loosing more before the first cold snap. The SHB contaminates the hive and starts eating the eggs and small larvie. Once the bee population dwendles to a certain population, then the beetle starts laying eggs. In app 2 to 3 days, the larvie start taking over the hive and destroys the honey bound cone.

Can anybody comment on what to do to control the SHB?

The bee questions that bug you

Dr. rajinder singh, Amritsar, Punjab, India — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 10:11:27 GMT

mr. l sudbeck
as regards the SHB .... try and keep the entrance to each colony as small as possible .......this will help the guarding workers to work more effectively.let me know if u agree and if it helps

The bee questions that bug you

L. Sudbeck , Jackson, Ms, USA — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 01:30:40 GMT

I would like to agree, but I cannot. Even what use to be some of my strongest hives, with a single entrance, some have dwindled down and failed to the SHB.
One hive with an entrance of 2" x 3/4", I used my smoker to settle the bees for an inspection. Immediately the SHB's starter leaving. After approximaely 10 minutes of smoking the hive every now and then, I had killed approximately 285 SHB/'s.

Any other suggestions?

The bee questions that bug you

Jean-Pierre Vialaneix, France — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 13:53:39 GMT

Comments on the mail hereunder about fipronil and bees.
Fipronil has not be proven to cause massive bee kills in France. None of the scientific studies evaluated by the European Food Safety Agency and French equivalent agency show a negative effect on bees or the colonies.

After several years of no agricultural use of fipronil in France, bees are still facing problems and people look more and more towards diseases, amount/diversity of food supply. Improvement of some beekeping practices, the creation of a technical comptence center which can provide solid support to beekeepers are also considered.

Comments on :
"I suggest you Google for "france bees termidor" and the chemical Fipronil. This chemical was found to be directly responsible for the bee die-off in France and they have banned it. I think the chemical companies are pulling the wool over our eyes and sending us on a wild goose chase for viruses when the real cause of the die-off is insecticides. - Jeff"

The bee questions that bug you

KAMARIA — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 18:26:47 GMT

bees are used to make products in factories. tell me more.

The bee questions that bug you

MIKE KROM, ULSTER, NEWYORK — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 01:55:04 GMT

I LIVE IN NEW YORK STATE IN ULSTER COUNTY I RECENTLY FOUND A DEAD BEE THAT LOOKS LIKE A WHITE HORNET BUT IT WAS A DEEP ORANGE WITH A BLACK RING ON ITS ABDOMAN. ITS HEAD WAS ORANGE AND IT HAD ORANGE FUZZ ON IT WHERE ITS WINGS WERE. I DONT KNOW WHAT KIND OF BEE IT WAS I SHOULD HAVE PUT IT IN A JAR AND SENT IT OUT BUT I DIDNT. IF YOU COULD HELP ME WITH THIS QUESTION I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT. THANKYOU FOR YOU TIME AND MY NAME IS MIKE BY THE WAY.

The bee questions that bug you

David Dawson Chong Lap Thailand — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 08:22:15 GMT

Hello....My name is David Dawson and I reside in Thailand near the Burma border and is a mountainous area. I have a Thai friend and is a very keen observer of nature. I visited with him yesterday and he related the following story to me. A few years ago he went fruther up into the mountains with two of the Karen people, who are the indigenous people of this area. They spotted some bees up on a rock and one of the Karen men climbed up to look for some honey. When he got close to the nest the bees came out and did not sting him but flew around his face emitting an invisible mist. He went back down and the bees came with him and got into the faces of the other two men. In a few minutes they were all but blind ans went to a nearby stream and washed their eyes with the stream water and within an hour their complete vision was restored. Can someone tell me what kind of bee this is? Thank you for your time. David

The bee questions that bug you

John, Tulsa, Oklahoma — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 23:35:14 GMT

Small Hive Beetle-CheckMite+ will help with SHB. Put strip stapled in between cardboard so that bees cannot get to strip but SHB can. Put this on bottom board under cluster. Also use a ground drench called GardStar about 1 yard around hives as the pupae of the hive beetle has to go out into the ground to complete it's life cycle. There is another drench called Permethrin SFR that is supposed to be cheaper but I have not found any.

The bee questions that bug you

FLAVIA WADE, London, UK — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:33:51 GMT

Can someone tell me what is the legal position of a bee-keeper whose bees sting and cause the death of a person?

The bee questions that bug you

evalina ,pomona , california — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 17:21:36 GMT

i have been wondering if the depletion of their supply of royal jelly when extracted might have something to do with it the fact that we are constanly invading their infrastructure gives me the idea it could be hurting their way of life anyone have thoughts on this?

The bee questions that bug you

ernie california — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 05:21:35 GMT

One day I had what I thought was a bee hive on my block that was about 2.5 feet long 8 inches in diameter. when i went to go look at it again one morning they were still there. then when i went back to show my dad when we were about 50 yards away they began to swarm so we ran. but when we went to look again there was no nest. so what i thought was a nest was just a whole lot of bees. i do not know if they were disturbed when they left or they just left but it was a big swarm. my question was What kind of Bees will stick to one branch of a tree in mass numbers for 2 days and just leave?

The bee questions that bug you

Tracie Barltrop, swindon, UK — Sat, 09 May 2009 20:44:39 GMT

Iv heard that if you keep bees and there is a death in the family you must tell the bees or they swarm off. Could you please tell me if this is true ?

The bee questions that bug you

Teresa Butler, Henderson, N.C. — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:28:17 GMT

Enjoyed reading all the comments about bees. I moved to Henderson, N.C. 2 years ago, and have only seen a seen a few bees pollinating my flower garden and plants. However, this afternoon I witnessed nearly 100 bees flying around my property (about 1 long, black/greenish in color), never landing on my plants nor the ground. Just flying senselessly in circles, low mass and occasionally above my windows, sometimes blindly banging into the window with an impact. They were primarily in my back yard, however they also found pleasure flying on the side and in front of my house. Including my neighbors yards on both sides. It was quite a sight,as I have never seen so many bees freely flying in one location in such numbers. These were huge,I mean huge bumble bees. Is this unusual? Thanks for the info.