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  • From: KNat <knat@sprintmail.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] Other Bees
  • Date: Sat, 05 May 2007 07:30:50 -0500

This week I've stumbled upon 2 non-honey bees doing the same dazed movement of the lost honeybees I've run into. 1 bumble, 1 carpenter. As notably odd as the honeys. (I'm still looking for resources on bee dances.)

The carpenters seem about the same in numbers overall near their nest sites. But their flight patterns are not the same as past years. Many more spiral cycles in changing direction. And they are gathering pollen in larger groups. One tree they are using almost every flower, despite occasional honeys, when they previously used about 1/10 normally 1/4 peak. And more seem aimless (we've joked past couple years about the "mellowing" of the bees around here and that some seem happy to just sit.) Sometimes they just sit on the deck with an energy pattern that looks like elderly people in senior centers "waiting for inspiration." (not the same as the occasional wide-eyed male on the prowl, at all. Very undirected.) I just brought the honeys in last year so I expected carpenters would change as they balanced and have sat with them a few years first to be aware of the change (okay, you've probably figured who the comparison is the bees are becoming like, but they don't seem to be studying, they're just sitting:)
Anyone else noticing change in their other bees?

Peace,
Kathyann



  • [permaculture] Other Bees, KNat, 05/05/2007

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