permaculture

["Margaret & Steven Eisenhauer" <eisenhauerdesign@earthlink.net>]

We're in the southern Adirondacks on a small 45 acre farm/woodlot.  We
bought our 1st hive last year, and it was heavily hit by varroa mites at the
end of the season, but the girls made it through the winter.  This spring we
added 2-more hives and overall, they appear to be going gang-busters.  We
currently have 3-honey supers on last years and 1 of this years hives and
the 2nd one from this year is going slower, but comparable to last years 1st
hive.

In a nutshell, we do not appear to be affected (and I'll knock on wood to
maintain that thought).  We practice organic gardening/lawn maintenance, and
the orchards that are around us are defunct, so they are not "out gassing
any sprays/pesticides".  We do not have cell phone service in our area.  

We have been thinking about doing the "natural comb size" hives, but with
full-time jobs, do not yet have the time/energy.  And, we are seeing apples
in our diminished orchard AND the surrounding defunct ones this year, so the
girls appear to be doing a good thing.

We are of the nature where we leave them alone and let them do their thing.
We are NOT out there every week checking and "cleaning" the hives.  Now
already talking about getting, at the very least, 2-more hives next year.
Our primary desire is to give back to the land and get it back to where it
once was at the origination of the 150 year old homestead that we live on.
Having no desire to get into trucking of bees, we work to "cultivate" our
land to give them the most healthful feeding we can.

Ask us again next spring.  We are hopeful that our girls will make it
through the NY Adirondack winter.  It is a trial for any creature that can
not be contained within the comforts of a house.

S&M - Spring Mountain Farm

-----Original Message-----
From: permaculture-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:permaculture-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of KNat
Sent: Sunday, August 12, 2007 8:36 AM
To: permaculture
Subject: Re: [permaculture] "ORGANICS" WAS A Look at CCD

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
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