Last flight of the honeybee?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/may/31/animalwelfare.environment?gusrc=rss&feed=environment

In France, beekeepers have for more than a decade waged a war against the chemical giant Bayer CropScience. They hold responsible the company's bestselling pesticide, imidacloprid, trade name Gaucho, for killing a third of the country's 1.5 million colonies. In 1999, the French government banned the use of Gaucho on sunflower crops after thousands took to the streets in protest. Two further pesticides were banned because of their potential link to bee deaths. It appeared to stem the massive bee die-offs for a time, even though the manufacturers' own tests demonstrated there is no correlation, and a long-term study by the French food safety agency revealed no significant differences in death rates before and after pesticides were banned. This winter, bee deaths across France are reported to have shot up again to 60%.

Bayer is also being blamed by German beekeepers for the eerie silence along the Rhine valley, where the buzzing of bees is a common sound at this time of year. They say two-thirds of honeybees have been killed this month by the pesticide clothianidin, sold under the trade name Poncho, which has been widely applied on sweet corn. As a result of the bee deaths, eight pesticides, including clothianidin, have been temporarily suspended in Germany. Anecdotal evidence of pesticide-related bee deaths in Italy and Holland is also piling up.

European beekeepers accuse scientists and government agencies of being in the pocket of the chemical companies. It's a similar story in the US, where scientists maintain that there is no correlation between the bees' disappearance and pesticide use. According to Hackenberg: "Big Ag has control of the USDA from the secretary right down to the lowest guy on the totem pole."

Jeff Pettis is not sure where he comes on the pole. The senior manager at the federal bee laboratory in Maryland, he's the man responsible for coordinating the US government's response to CCD. Pettis advises some beekeepers may do well to forgo the almond pollination and rest their bees. "You are getting them ready for February when the sunlight hours and the temperature are telling them it's too early in the year to be foraging at full strength," he says

more...

Well Congress when are you going to bring USDA and ask them about these pesticides??? WHEN

to any remaining bu$h supporters...this will be your legacy, the destruction of so much of our environment, especially the honeybees. To them I say fuck you!...and I hope your crops fail you bastards. BTW, the wild bees could do the job for us...except there has been so much destruction of their habitat from mindless development and pesticides that their numbers are in trouble also. As the bees go, so do we.

... by infestations of two (imported) parasitic mite species.

Don't rely on wild honeybee colonies -- they don't exist anymore (unless they are a new swarm). Other insect species also pollinate, but none with the efficiency and effectiveness of a honeybee colony.

...unfortunately, they are becoming "Africanized".

Africanized or not, we need the pollination help here.

Where do you live? Here in TN, our ag folks say there are no wild colonies left (other than new swarms from commercial hives).

We keep two colonies of very gentle Italian Bees.



http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=280x34941

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=246x5729

So far, our colonies are very healthy. They overwintered well, have large populations, and are making Spring Honey. Our hives are registered with the state, and we are members of our local Beekeepers Association.

The migration of "Africanized HoneyBees" passed by us moving Northward several years ago, which puts us inside the danger zone. Africanized Bees are "wild" bees. No one knowingly keeps colonies of these bees, and unlike ants, Africanized Bees cannot invade a colony of domestic bees and take it over. However, a domestic queen CAN mate with a wild Africanized Bee on her maiden flight, and the new colony will be partially Africanized.

Like most beekeepers in this area, we are careful to monitor our Queens, and if we are at all suspicious, we "requeen" the hive with a pre-fertilized queen from outside the Africanized Zone.
The State is recommending that we no longer capture swarms because of the possibility of an African Wild Swarm. If the State is called, they automatically kill swarming bees unless their origin is obvious.

The wild Africanized Bee is genetically adapted to a tropical environment, and does not store as much honey for the Winter as its European cousin. For this reason, experts are agreeing that the Africanized migration will not be able to continue Northward much further since they will not be able to survive a hard Winter. I am uncertain if your location in Tennessee will be outside this zone.

I have no data concerning the populations of wild honey bees in our area, whether they are in decline or not. I will ask our state inspector the next time I see him. Before we started our colonies, we did observed honeybees in our area, and we are many miles from any domestic colonies.

Small, decentralized, low stress, well maintained local bee colonies may be one of the answers to CCD.


Have you ever considered starting a colony?
We have fallen in love with our bees.

sorry I didn't see this earlier, I need to stay on top of my posts. I am thinking about getting into bees, our neighbor has 3 successful hives right now. I was wondering when you start. Also, I am a photographer and love your shot of the bee, just wondering if you know the shutter speed you had going to freeze the wings? I live in Ohio, so perhaps the Africanized Bees won't make it up here.

America NEEDS more Small scale bee keepers.
I can't help but believe that huge Factory Bee Corporations with thousands of colonies and over medicating the populations with prophylactic antibiotics and chemicals, and then trucking them across the country is part of the problem.

If you want to start some bee colonies I have three STRONG suggestions:

1) Check in with you County Extension.
They are really helpful. There are some regulations concerning transportation, registration, and inspection, and there may be some local ordinances. They are also a great resource for latest research and new methods, pest & disease control. They can also facilitate state hive inspections.
We generally avoid government agencies where ever possible, and have never voluntarily registered anything, but we make an exception for our bees. The benefits FAR outweigh any downside.

2)Join you local Beekeepers Association.
These are some of the most laid back people you will ever meet. Starkraven and myself are not joiners, but we look forward to our monthly meetings with the "bee people". This is another valuable resource for local information concerning pests, honey flows, equipment and disreputable operators. You can also pick up some hands-on experience working around hives.
Make no mistake...it is scary opening a hive the first time.
You will also be able to pick up some free localized bees from you local bee keepers. (Healthy colonies EXPAND, and many local bee keepers have all they want and are more than happy to give them away).

3)Always use new equipment
There are some very persistent pests and diseases that can be transmitted through the equipment. Used equipment abounds at some very attractive prices.
It is not worth the risk in my opinion. If you join the local association, some will offer you old equipment for FREE, but we always politely turn it down.
New Equipment is very reasonable, and there are many wholesalers and retailers online.
We use Dadant, and have been very happy with them.


Photography is one of my loves. Digital cameras made it easy.
Mother Earth News published two of my photos this month.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=280x43395

The Bees In-Flight photos were one of my quests last Summer.
I originally tried to chase the bees, but the results were disappointing.
Late in the Summer, our Basil went to flower and our bees LOVED it, so I had plenty of subjects flying around in one place.

I tripod mounted my camera, waited for that golden late afternoon sun, manually focused an a spot, and waited for a bee to fly into the frame.
There were so many bees that I didn't have to wait very long.

Nikon D200
Nikon 70 - 200 VR F2.8 lens @ 200mm (Full Zoom) with a 20mm macro spacer.
Aperture Priority @ F/4.5 (Wide Open with the macro spacer)
ISO = 160 (for good color saturation)
Shutter = 1/750

I took about 300 pix that afternoon. 4 were in focus.
The focal plane was so narrow with the wide open lens and the macro spacer that the bee had to be in exactly the same plane as the flower focal point. If the bee was slightly at an angle, the focus was off. That is the JOY of digital photography.....it doesn't cost anything to take hundreds of photos.
Anyone who takes 1000 photos is going to get a good one.
I am proof.



The photo group at DU is very good!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=280

Cheers

My next lens is going to be a VR, perhaps the same the 70-200. I will have to check into the local extension agent here in summit county. Thanks for the suggestions, I will keep in touch. Great shots! I know what you are saying about 200 shots and four in focus!

just checked the price of the 2.8, ouch! I have a 17-55 2.8 it was 1200.

Actually, I've met some nice Canons too.

The 70-200 VR 2.8 is worth it, even if you have to stop buying food. :)

My other favorite lens is the Nikon 50mm F1.8.
Under $100 and sharp as a razor.

It is so small and unobtrusive that it looks like a toy on the front of my camera. It is great for street photography, not near as invasive or intimidating as the bigger lenses which tend to scare people. With the 1.5 crop factor (75mm eq.), it makes an acceptable lens for candid street portraits. Add a Macro Spacer tube, and you have a fast 75mm Macro lens that can compete with the dedicated Macro lenses costing over $1000.

You should check out the DU Photography Group.
There are several other D200 owners.
It is a good, safe Photo Group with some REAL talent and varied levels of experience.

Bob
Ouachita Mtns, Arkansas

and other organic beekeepers, we'll have more than bee photos to reminisce about! :applause:

I would bet anything you decide worth the wager that
the Congress piggies are beholden to the corporations
producing the genocidal pesticides, as well as stockholders
in those companies.
BHN