permaculture

[KNat <knat@sprintmail.com>]

Allan Balliett wrote:
> It is often said that natural raised hives, especially hives that are 
> not transported for commercial pollination, are essentially exempt 
> from CCD. (They, of course, still have problems with varroa, and what 
> not. but they are not having the sudden die-off, leaving hives that 
> are uninhabitable by wax and honey scavengers.
>
> Anyone have any insight into this?
>
> I'm asking: is this a plight of industrial beekeeping or is it 
> affecting bees across the board?
Always anecdotal (despite reading volumes on the topic for several years 
now, perhaps to a level others would call obsession.)
I've been with bee yards with CCD and without CCD, industrial 
(transported) and yard-bound, also "natural" (comb shape/size not 
pre-determined.) Haven't yet experienced much small cell predetermined, 
reported to be mite resistant for "organic" beekeeping.  The activity 
balance and response of bees in natural built is definitely different 
and closer to "wild" but I think it's coincidence. Industrial bees have 
always been edgy (trees in orchards a soul spot for me as a child.) But 
the balance of stages seems more the key.
If we cultivate for the bees' sake, trucking will have to change. In 
particular, exterminating at the end of the season. It feels as simple 
as needing some trait/knowledge which comes from experienced bees and 
perpetually young hives sometimes miss it. Or  some trait we haven't 
noted yet about how older cultivate younger.
Packages of  new bees  feel like sheep. (Ewe-raised lambs are 
significantly different than those separated and raised individually, 
lifelong.) Or like cheese from old culture vs new culture. There's a 
factor of time, or rhythm cycles, that is very obvious in bees. Just 
think of the difference of never hitting the same flower twice or not 
interacting with a plant flowering in its second or subsequent year. We 
know old flower honey tastes different and has different properties in 
fermentation/health benefit. Young bees left maps to their realm would 
experience those in a way a new bee in a newly planted field, with only 
first generation plants will never. Colonies use, and teach, history in 
their navigation. Small trucking used to be the same hive taken to the 
same orchard. History could be passed. Large trucking is indiscriminate 
(again, anecdotal, I've only spoken w 4 bee runners and do not seek 
their company.) Watch repeatedly trucked bees use of plants around the 
planted field. I've seen repeat visitors beeline neighboring trees. They 
had to be using old knowledge.
Right now I see studies being done on the microworld within bees. I 
think, from hanging out with bees, the "answer" to CCD puzzle much more 
likely in cultural environment. Colony not individual. Colonies from 
stationary beeyards (without program of annually turning over 
broodstock/queens) vs Colonies from new package, existing one season, in 
random place(s). And/or regular orchard service vs annual field crop 
service. Any researchers out there?
Apis Meliflora is a wonderful companion for us humans, and I understand 
our enslaving her to make monocropping and honey production possible. 
But, given the respectful place of service she models for her queenhead, 
we can easily coexist, regardless of method (outside of chemical 
dumping, of course.)

Peace,
Kathyann