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permaculture - Re: [permaculture] more on honeybees

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lfl@intrex.net>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] more on honeybees
  • Date: Fri, 09 Mar 2007 02:51:29 -0500

Kathy Evans wrote:

To help the wild bees, I can't think of anything better than your suggestion, to plant things they like - preferably native plants that native bees like. The native bees may well not be subject to the pestilences of honeybees. I haven't heard of harvester bees - unless they are the same as carpenter bees that live in holes in wood, and are significant pollinators.

I have a large colony of carpenter bees. It has grown larger each year
since I first noticed them. They look just like bumble bees. They have
also done a lot of damage to the wood in some of the buildings on my property.
I have 4 acres of vegetable crops in a rural area adjoining many acres of
forests, a river nearby and vacant lots well wooded. I am glad to hear they
are such good pollinators. I just bought a book at a local used bookstore,
"The Forgotten Pollinators". I think I also may have a stable colony of
orchard
mason bees but I will have to learn to identify them to be sure.

If you ever thought of keeping bees, I would tell you, as you put it, that your were nuts. But then that's something of a prerequisite. C. P. Dadant, an ancient bee guru said, "Beekeeping is a business that requires the greatest amount of attention to small details ... The good beekeeper is generally more or less cranky."

That's very interesting.

I had and lost to moths two excellent hives of honeybees. I think they swarmed
at some point during the infestation and are still living near my property
in the woods as I now see plenty of bees during spring, summer and fall where
before I only saw a handfull each year.

LL
--
Lawrence F. London, Jr.
Venaura Farm
lfl@intrex.net
http://market-farming.com
http://market-farming.com/venaurafarm
http://venaurafarm.blogspot.com/
http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech





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