10 Feb 2022 4:36 pm
Honestly, I have no real answer that I can say definitively is the cause.
It's most likely a combination of things. First, we are using a LOT of nicotinomide insecticides that are supposed to be "bee friendly", but still, we see bees that have been exposed to it behaving weird. It affects their central nervous system dramatically and since it's brought into the hive and found in their comb, it stays in the hive a very long time affecting brood and the queen as well.
Second, we are seeing so many colonies wiped out due to varroa mites, an "introduced" mite from Asia, that has really brought viruses and other things to our bees that they simply can't deal with like the Asian bees did. It can overwhelm a hive in a couple of weeks if you don't get a handle on it FAST. Basically, you are trying to kill an insect ON an insect. That is challenging at best. And the other viral diseases that this causes is also destructive as it gets too.
Third, we don't have the longevity nor the productivity of the queen bee like it once was. Used to be a queen would produce for h4-5 years. Now, you are lucky if you get a full year to a year and a half out of her. You are constantly requeening, splitting hives to reproduce queens and even buying queens to keep you hives going.
Fourth, the foraging areas are being taken over by housing developments. There are few fence lines with weeds left for bees to find nectar and pollen at. The demand for pristine fence lines results in herbicide use that kills all the plants that bees survived on, produced honey from, and had a thriving colony as a result. No more. These HOA's "demand" you keep every weed and dandelion killed or else, and the honey bees have nothing to eat. And that means no brood to keep the colony alive. Sure that manicured lawn looks great, but you are destroying the foraging area our bees need to survive too. Just stop killing the weeds on the fence lines and that alone would be a huge help.
So pick one you think is the culprit. As for me, I think it's a combination of all of the above.
Cont......
1 Nomination
Phelix_Dacat Feb 09, 2022
Go to original post on Feb 10, 2022 5:30pm