October 2021 –
MY RANT FOR 2021…..
What a year this has been!! I don’t think that I’ll get any dispute there. There are many disputes going on at this time, but that would not be one of them!
So, How are the Bees doing Bee Lady??
They are doing well, I think. There has been ample rain through the summer, which benefits the forage that I grow , and that grows around me. I’ve increased my forage that will bloom in the summer. That get’s them through the dearth between spring and fall nectar flow.
The bees are looking healthy, a little hive beetle issue, but otherwise healthy. That is saying something! Last hive lost was February 2020. Now I had a split this spring that didn’t make it, but I am now at the same amount of hives that I started 2021 with. My friends, that is saying something!!
So many times you have no idea what happened. One hive I found dead bees at the bottom along with the queen. Maybe she failed. Maybe they brought poison into the hive. Who knows!! The bees and the queen all had their proboscis protruding, which could indicate poisoning. (proboscis is a bee’s tongue used for getting nectar from a flower)
So many new houses going up the area. Land selling for astronomical amounts! Then people move to the rural areas, tear down all the trees and think they need to bring their city ways here. Worthless grass which they have to treat with poisons, which are usually poisonous to my bees.
Question: If they move into my neighborhood, wouldn’t it be fair to have them NOT poison my bees??? Leave your grass and your glyphosate in the city!! But hell, my neighbor right next door uses the crap.
WHAT IN THE HELL IS SO GREAT ABOUT GRASS?? BTW – that glyphosate not only causes cancer in you, but also disturbs your micro-biome. What do you think that it does to the bee??
I get so frustrated with this situation! The hive that I lost in 2020, with the bees and their proboscis protruding, was early spring…..right when the dandelions bloom.
Dandelions are the first food source to bloom in early spring. So neighbor sprays the dandelion … A Bee comes and visits that dandelion and then brings it back to the hive. Bees share food sources in seconds. In a matter of minutes the entire hive can be poisoned.
The proboscis protruding from the mouth
Ya, so still having all the hives that I started with at the beginning of 2021 IS A BIG DEAL. The last few years I’ve dealt with 40% – 50% & even 60% losses.
I am not sure what is happening, but I can only hope it is a trend of things to come.
Namaste’
