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Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Tim Inman" <Tim@historicinteriors.com>
  • To: <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [NAFEX] Colony Collapse
  • Date: Sat, 4 Apr 2009 10:40:42 -0500

Here is a subject for us that we can actually do something about.  We need bees to pollinate our fruits and also, the honey they yield is delicious.
 
I'm beginning my second year as a beekeeper.  Just installed 4 new hives yesterday and released the new queens this morning.  It is a wonderful hobby, and I think all of us orchard folks who can ought to consider also being beekeepers.  I've been amazed at how gentle the honey bees are, and how much fun it is to work with them - and how undemanding they are of my time.
 
That said, from my reading and discussions with other beekeepers, my observation is that stress is a significant factor in bee disease, especially CCD.  Commercial keepers' bees now travel all over the USA, non-stop, producing honey and pollinating crops - from coast to coast via trucks.  They are removed from their normal work/rest cycles because they are put on specialized trucks and hauled to the next venue the instant their pollinization chores are completed in one place.  Seems logical to me that the spread of diseases to every corner would be one end result.  Also, stressed weary critters - bees or beasts - get sick and die easiest.  Dr Keith Delaplane seems to agree that the causative factors for CCD are many, and that stress contributes significantly.
 
So, what to do?  Instead of relying on commercial beekeepers (who are up against the money wall big time to keep their operations going) I think we hobbyists or 'small time operators' should consider keeping some hives of our own.  Our little bees can do their thing for us, and we can give them happy stress free places to grow and be healthy.  Since we aren't feeding bankers to keep our bee businesses going, or expecting huge profits from honey sales, we can offer a gentler more normalized lifestyle for our honey bees.  Even busy bees need a little laid back slower pace from time to time.
 
Plus, it is a ton of fun!
 
Tim Inman
Randolph, Iowa



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