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Barnyard Buddies:  Honey Bees Disappearing & Dying  |
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rksmith
True Blue Farmgirl
858 Posts
Rachel
Clayton
GA
USA
858 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 28 2012 : 5:19:17 PM
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We've had 3 hives pack up and leave in the last 2 years and some died. We were thinking that someone had been baiting bees since someone else around here has hives too; I've seen quite a few a couple of miles down the road. Well, I was just talking with my dad who said that my sister had read that there is something new being put on cotton that has been attracting bees. But that once they go to the cotton, it makes them crazy, they leave the hive and then die. I did a quick google on it, but didn't find anything in particular that I haven't already read, and he said that this is a pretty recent finding. Supposedly it is also contributing to colony collapse as well. Have any of you ladies heard or know anything about this? I plan to research it some more. Practically everyone around me has large fields and usually plant cotton. I REALLY want to keep some honey bees, but don't see much point since we haven't been able to get them to stay here and live and we've already lost 3 hives (and about $4-500 at least once you figure in the cost of bees and building the hives, supplies, + time and effort). If this is really a contributing factor to our bee loss, I am sure it is effecting others as well and I honestly think that the cotton growers and chemical manufacturers should be accountable for the loss of people's bees.
Rachel
Farmgirl Sister #2753
True enlightenment is nothing but the nature of one's own self being fully realised-- His Holiness the Dali Lama
http://madame1313.wordpress.com/ |
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wooliespinner
True Blue Farmgirl
1311 Posts
Linda
Manchester
Ohio
1311 Posts |
Posted - Mar 29 2012 : 06:40:20 AM
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Rachel I would check them for Varoa mites which you can see on them and also treat them for trachia mites which you can't see. This causes many hives to die. As for you bee's leaving sometimes they do this when the mites get to be too much so they leave trying to get away from them. Sometimes the hive gets to big for the colony also and they will leave because of that also. So many things can cause this.
We usually treat our bees for both kinds of mites twice a year before the main honey flow. Also if we see a hive getting too big for the boxes we have we take some brood and split them into another hive. You can google this on how to do this. I am no expert but we have experenced these things also. It is frustrating. Hope this helps and good luck in the future with your bees.
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
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StrawHouseRanch
True Blue Farmgirl
1044 Posts
Paula
Holt
Missouri
USA
1044 Posts |
Posted - Mar 29 2012 : 12:18:16 PM
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I have read several studies about pesticides that affect the bees' homing instinct..so they get lost coming back to the hive and die.
BeeCulture is a good place to find information about new research related to bees. Here is an article that references the affect of pesticides on the homing instinct of bees.
http://home.ezezine.com/1636/1636-2012.03.29.14.01.archive.html
Paula
Farmgirl Sister #3090
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, and Today is a Gift.
"Look deep into Nature, and then you will understand everything better."--Albert Einstein
http://www.etsy.com/shop/StrawHouseDesigns |
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Farmtopia
True Blue Farmgirl
1465 Posts
Zan
New York
New York
USA
1465 Posts |
Posted - Mar 29 2012 : 1:26:12 PM
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We were talking about this issue when I was teaching beekeeping in Illinois and Iowa--which is home to big corn fields and lots of plane spraying pesticides.
You may want to research, but if it's large cotton fields, then yes, no doubt there are chemicals being used to keep them bug free or keep them growing--both of these are horrible to the bees, so you may want to rethink getting bees. OR, you can find out if you are in an area called a "Sensitive Crop Registry" (don't know if this thing exists in GA), but it will hold accountable anyone living in a place with bees. As I mentioned, it may not exist in your state, in which case you'd have to fight for such an ordinance if you'd like to keep bees.
Best of luck!
~*~Dream all you dreamers~*~
View My Work:
art/dolls: www.vagabondcreations.blogspot.com
The Horse Drawn Project and Farming!
www.beyondvagabond.com
View the blog and radio show!
Renegade Farming!: www.therenegadefarmer.com
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rksmith
True Blue Farmgirl
858 Posts
Rachel
Clayton
GA
USA
858 Posts |
Posted - Mar 29 2012 : 3:32:07 PM
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I don't know exactly what happened with the bees, they were healthy --no mites or any other bugs that we could find on the ones that were left. But I do think that the crap that is sprayed on crops along with the genetic modifications that are done to crops does have an adverse effect on the ecosystem as a whole, not just bees. I have almost zero sense of smell but when cotton is planted I can smell very strongly (to the point it makes me sick some days) whatever it is they put on it. It doesn't smell healthy or good for you at all.
Rachel
Farmgirl Sister #2753
True enlightenment is nothing but the nature of one's own self being fully realised-- His Holiness the Dali Lama
http://madame1313.wordpress.com/ |
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wooliespinner
True Blue Farmgirl
1311 Posts
Linda
Manchester
Ohio
1311 Posts |
Posted - Mar 29 2012 : 3:37:04 PM
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Rachel if they looked healthy otherwise then it may very well be what the farmers are spraying. We have that around here but not to many crops are planted close to us because I live in a very hilly area. Mostly just good for bees, goats, and cattle. Most of the crops close to us are at least several miles away. So sorry you have had such losses. We have had a few but still manage to keep 3 or 4 hives most of the time.Its been a bit costly at times but my son wants to keep at it. Good luck to you.
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Mar 31 2012 : 06:37:25 AM
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I have also heard that they are super sensitive to the stuff in Roundup.
the salts are pretty inert, that's waht makes the plant wilt but it's the carrier that is toxic.
I'd be curious if nearby neighbors spray |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Mar 31 2012 : 07:23:52 AM
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i too think its the neighbors spraying. its such a sad thing the way man is using all these deadly chemicals so sorry your bees are disappearing.
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1096 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
1096 Posts |
Posted - Apr 02 2012 : 10:57:21 AM
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I read something on yahoo news a month or so ago about a new sort of parasite that gets on the bees and causes them to lose their sense of direction. But truly I have never raised bees so I don't know too much about them. But it is supposed to be something different than the other parasite that bothers them. I see one of the ladies posted that they spray for 2 kinds of mites so it could be old news that I read.
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
www.nmbarrelhorses.com |
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rksmith
True Blue Farmgirl
858 Posts
Rachel
Clayton
GA
USA
858 Posts |
Posted - Apr 02 2012 : 4:32:05 PM
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I've been researching and I now believe we've had colony collapse disorder. If you haven't seen it, you should watch "Vanishing of the bees" it is very interesting. And just like in the documentary, our bees were fine one day and then when we checked them 3 days later they were gone, the few dead ones were the younger ones and what was left of brood. The combs looked really good--this really irritates me. I can't stop thinking about this. My goal now is to do more research on CCD, bees and pesticides as well as the possibility of using herbs and other natural goodies to combat this disorder in bees (and very likely other animals too).
Rachel
Farmgirl Sister #2753
True enlightenment is nothing but the nature of one's own self being fully realised-- His Holiness the Dali Lama
http://madame1313.wordpress.com/ |
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Farmtopia
True Blue Farmgirl
1465 Posts
Zan
New York
New York
USA
1465 Posts |
Posted - Apr 02 2012 : 10:52:46 PM
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If you are surrounded by cotton, particularly BT cotton, and other GM types of crops, you may be having to fight, legislatively, to help the bees. I'm not sure, but in the MidWest, they PLANE SPRAY pesticides, so it could be a losing battle unless you work with your community to stop this.
My firm feeling is that it's the pesticides that are causing CCD. The French managed to overturn their govt's provisions on Bayer's clothianidin (but then the French seem a bit more conciliatory towards their citizens, and the French can protest with the best of them!), we need to follow suit. Dang it if Bayer, Monsanto (which now owns Beelogics, look out!), Dow and other so called chemical companies don't run this government. I just wish citizens here pushed harder and really demanded so much more from this crazy gov't system!
~*~Dream all you dreamers~*~
View My Work:
art/dolls: www.vagabondcreations.blogspot.com
The Horse Drawn Project and Farming!
www.beyondvagabond.com
View the blog and radio show!
Renegade Farming!: www.therenegadefarmer.com
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rksmith
True Blue Farmgirl
858 Posts
Rachel
Clayton
GA
USA
858 Posts |
Posted - Apr 03 2012 : 4:20:20 PM
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The guy who owns the huge farm just up from us has his crops dusted every year. I'm surrounded by GMO---which is why we can't get certified organic here. I agree that the pesticides are the main contributing factor in this disease. It also makes me wonder what else it is contributing to. I am planning (in my head right now) letters to my "representatives" about this (and I already know what they'll say--it'll probably be the exact same form response I always get) and let them know I'm upset about this junk. We'll see how it goes.
Rachel
Farmgirl Sister #2753
True enlightenment is nothing but the nature of one's own self being fully realised-- His Holiness the Dali Lama
http://madame1313.wordpress.com/ |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Apr 04 2012 : 03:53:02 AM
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| That's very sad and perhaps one of the causes |
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Barnyard Buddies: Honey Bees Disappearing & Dying |
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Honey Bees Disappearing & Dying
