Honey Bee Deaths...
Why are the Honey Bees Dying?
The short answer to this question is:
Nobody knows for sure why the honey bees are dying.
The Problem:
Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is what they call it. Essentially, the worker bees in a hive suddenly disappear. Where they go and why, nobody knows for sure. Virtually, hives are found with a queen, maybe even some honey, but little or no worker bees (and no dead worker bee carcasses). It seems as those the worker bees vanish into thin air.
Starting in 2006, beekeepers began losing as many as 90% of their hives to this mysterious phenomenon.
The Bigger Problem:
One third of the food we eat relies on bees to pollinate it. If there aren't enough bees around to do the job, we're all going to suffer.
The Potential Causes:
Although nobody knows for sure what's causing this huge increase in bee deaths, there are many theories. And most likely, it's a combination of more than one issue that's causing the problem. Below are a list of some of the causes that are being considered:
1. Mites and/or viruses
2. Use of pesticides
3. Malnutrition caused from the practice of taking the honey from the hive and feeding the bees high fructose corn syrup instead.
4. Malnutrition caused from loss of habitat (urbanization, well-kept lawns, etc.)
5. Stress among the bees
6. Pest control practices
7. Problems from feeding on genetically modified crops
8. Global warming
9. Cell phone radiation (see linked article below for more details on this one)
What Can We Do?
Fixing CCD is multi-faceted and complex. But, there are things all of us can do. Here's a list to get you started:
1. Grow bee-friendly plants--flowers, vegetables, herbs and fruit trees.
2. Start a hive or two of your own in your back yard.
3. If a traditional hive is too overwhelming, start with a top bar hive
It requires less work, money, and knowledge to get started. If you'd rather make one than buy one, check out free plans for building your own Top Bar Hive.
4. Stop using pesticides.
5. Buy local honey to support the bee keepers in your area.
6. Participate in The Great Sunflower Project and help track and count bees. There's no cost to join this grass roots organization and they'll even sent you sunflower seeds to plant, if you'd like them to.
6. Make peace with the dandelions and weeds in your yard--they're food for the bees.
7. Donate to bee research.
8. Leave a patch of your lawn long to create a shelter for the bees.
9. Help protect swarms--if you see a bee swarm, call your local beekeeping association
Even Icecream Companies are Concerned about the Disappearing Bee Act
Haagen Dazs, maker of premium icrecream, started a campaign to help save the honey bee. In order to raise awareness of the plight of the honey bee, they've started a new line of icrecream. They're also donating money to research aimed at discovering why the bees are dying. The company estimates that nearly 50% of their icecream ingredients are directly related to bees. Go to their website for more information.
EVIDENCE LINKS CELL PHONES TO BEE DEATHS!!
Read article here
Other information you might find helpful:
Starting with Bees
Honeybee Dance
How to Feed Honeybees
Keeping Bees (Mason vs. Honey)
About Mason Bees
How to Build a Mason Bee House
