Question on honey bee disappearance....

[Curmudgeoness]

We have all heard about the crisis in the honey bee population, and what this could mean for food production. There was a recent government report outlining what they believe the causes are, and there are so many causes that it seems improbable that a solution can be found. The study is discussed here:

http://phys.org/news/2013-05-bee.html

Besides making honey, honeybees pollinate more than 90 flowering crops. About one-third of the human diet comes from insect-pollinated plants, and the honeybee is responsible for 80 percent of that pollination.

"It affects virtually every American whether they realize it or not," said EPA acting administrator Bob Perciasepe.

Zac Browning, a fourth-generation commercial beekeeper, said the nation is "on the brink" of not having enough bees to pollinate its crops.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-05-bee.html#jCp



Now to get to my question. This is the first year that I have noticed fewer honey bees in my area. They are usually so thick on my coneflowers and onion flowers that I cannot even water plants in that area. I still see some, and they look healthy (at least from what I can tell, which is not much). But what I am noticing is that there are many more bumblebees on these plants than I have ever seen. So, is this crisis only in honey bee populations? And if that is the case, is it possible that bumblebees or other species of bees can fill the niche left by demise of honey bees? If not, why not? What is special about the honey bee above other bees?

[brewens]

1. I had noticed a lack of bees three and four years ago. last year they were back with a vengence and

this year as well. Also last year, one particular plant attracted bald faced hornets. I had never seen them in town before. Those are usually found in the woods.

[Curmudgeoness]

3. That is interesting....bees returning after a few years.

From all that I have read, this does not seem to be something that is being seen everywhere. Maybe those honey bees you see now have even developed a resistance to whatever is causing colony collapse....that would be quite a find. And your sighting of the hornets that are usually not in the area you are seeing them might mean that they were excluded previously by all the honey bees, but are ready to fill that niche. This is what I am wondering.

[brewens]

8. About 15 years ago, right in my neighborhood, we had a swarm on the move.

It has nothing to do with this bee issue but it was really something to see. It filled a residential intersection about three stories high. There were bees all over the place roaming around too. I went out side and saw bees all over and heard this hum, almost like something big and electric and then noticed the swarm.

I had to leave but I really wished I could have watched where they went.

[matt819]

2. We're okay on bees here

In fact, my wife has commented that we seem to have a greater variety of bees. I think we're lucky since my neighbor has several hives. Fruits, vegetables, and flowers doing fine, mostly.

[Curmudgeoness]

4. I had no shortage of honey bees here either,

until this year. I have been watching for declines for years now, and had not seen it before now. But there are many areas where the bee populations are plummeting, and the dire predictions are unsettling. It just makes me wonder if this is as dire as it seems, or if there are other pollinators ready to step up.

[MFM008]

5. no bees here

have hardly seen any. I saw 1 yesterday.

[Curmudgeoness]

7. Have you not seen any bees?

Not just honey bees, but any other bees? Like I said, I see more bumblebees this year, doing the same job that the honey bees were doing on the same favorite flowers.

[Botany]

6. "What is special about the honey bee above other bees?"

They are not "more special" then our native bees and native pollinators as a
matter of fact they are less important then our native pollinators. Although they
do give us a good index as per the health of our native pollinators.

1) Plant native plants that bloom @ different times of the growing season.
2) Give the native pollinators places to live.
3) Limit the use of insecticides.

[Curmudgeoness]

9. Thanks, Botany.

That guide looks wonderful. I have so many books on gardening, insects, wildflowers, birds, permaculture, trees.....I can't believe I have not run into this one yet. I already plant flowers that bloom throughout the growing season, and I do not use pesticides or any other chemicals (and most of my neighbors don't either---yeah!), but I will have to learn how to give them places to live. That never occurred to me.

[Botany]

10. Botany really is my biz ..... landscape and ecological restoration

xerces society and that book are really good .... that book has changed the
way I look @ and or maintain a project. I now look for leaf cutter and sweat
bees along with all kinds of other native pollinators.

http://www.xerces.org/announcing-the-publication-of-attracting-native-pollinators/

BTW you said you have bumblebees and that is a really good sign.

leaf cutter bee

[Curmudgeoness]

12. I noticed the other book at the Xerces site

called "Conserving Bumble Bees". That was when I figured they were a good thing. I do not know what leaf cutter bees are and the picture doesn't do much to help....unless I have one laying here, which would be a bad thing.

Do you know, are bumblebees also being affected by colony collapse or other factors? I mentioned them because I am noticing that they are doing the same work that honey bees seem to do.

[Botany]

18. Stuff

A leaf cutter bee would not hurt you

Bumble bees are not effected by colony collapse disorder like honeybees
but they can be hurt by mites, fungus, insecticides, and habitat loss

you can help them by by them a place for their life cycle and food sources
you can do the same for other native pollinators

[Curmudgeoness]

23. What places for their life cycle?

I am willing to do things to help all the creatures around my yard and garden, just need to know a few things that will help.

[Botany]

31. They need a place to nest, they need a palce to feed, and they do not need insecticides

http://www.xerces.org/bumblebees/guidelines/

[Curmudgeoness]

32. Well, that means I can't use my compost.

Not that I have thought of using it anyways, since I have bumblebees in it. It wasn't protection of their habitat that was my motivation, but it will be now. My yard should be a sanctuary for them....I have a stone and brick patio that is about 70 years old and is falling into disrepair....lots of openings and nooks and crannies. And holes from chipmunks everywhere, even though the chipmunks have become an endangered species here with all the roaming cats----a sad thing for me since I have always loved them.

I found it interesting that bumblebees do not visit red flowers.

[Botany]

33. you can use your compost in the fall

get this book:



not just bumblebees ..... lots of other good critters

[mopinko]

15. come look at my urban farm

we are pursuing a hugelkulture plan. i think this is a great soil building technique for polluted urban soils. if you are patient.

[d_r]

11. I have noticed very few bees

honey or bumblebees. I've seen a good bit of hornets and wasps. And sweat beas. But I haven't seen a honey bee all summer. Chattanooga, tn.

[Curmudgeoness]

13. That is very disturbing.

I have been concerned about this for years, since I first heard of problems in the bee population. But this is the first year I am seeing fewer honey bees.

Hornets and wasps....I don't know if they are pollinators or not. I haven't got that far in researching.

[jeff47]

14. The reason there's so many causes listed

is none of them explain it completely.

For example, some folks want to blame RoundUp and GMOs to resist it. Problem is the bee population is down in places that don't use RoundUp. So RoundUp could be a factor or one of the causes, but it isn't the only one.

[Botany]

19. round up is not a factor in colony collapse disorder

except if you sprayed and killed all the flowers the honeybees use as
food sources ...... colony collapse is from mites, fungus, and insecticides
(neonicotinoids) which also hurt the native pollinators too.

[jeff47]

21. Except your list isn't complete either.

Some colony collapses are from mites, some are from fungus. Some are from insecticides. And some are in places where none of those are the problem.

Which is why it's a difficult problem to solve - it appears there is not one single cause, which makes it much harder to figure out what's going on.

[Curmudgeoness]

24. I guess that is right in a simplistic sense.

I have not read anywhere that scientists studying this say that any one factor is the cause. The folks who would blame it all on just one cause are not paying attention.

No one reason can be found, at least not yet. But there is a tipping point. Each stress adds to the other stresses that have come before it. There is a point where they just cannot keep going. I don't know of any place where Roundup is not used, although I have not heard that Roundup is one of the causes cited in colony collapse. Roundup does not stay active for a long period, and is only an issue if it is used to kill all the flowers that the bees are feeding on, leaving them with less food and having to forage further away.

We really do have to look at all the things that are culprits. It is only prudent to cut back on the things that we know are affecting the bee populations. It cannot be good for us if it is killing off large quantities of other animals. This is a canary in the coal mine situation.

[mopinko]

16. i had tons last year, because i was the most reliable source of water.

this year there has been plenty of rain. we have enough, but i dont see the clouds of them i saw last year.

[DetlefK]

17. What's so special about bees? Pollinators are specialized and prefer particular plant-species.

A rise in bumblebee- and butterfly-populations would be useless to us: Each pollinates the plants they are used to and they don't care about, which plants we want them to pollinate.

If the bees die out, it could easily take years and decades before bumblebees take over that ecological niche.

[Botany]

20. not true ...

... many studies have shown that given the right conditions native pollinators can
the job of pollinating desired food crops. We have many many species of bees;
leaf cutter bees, yellow faced bees, sweat bees, mining bees, carpenter bees, and more
types along w/ moths, butterflies, flies, wasps, and other critters that can get the
job done.

[Curmudgeoness]

25. But what I am noticing is

that the bumblebees are on the same plants that were covered with honey bees before. That is why the question came to my mind.

Also, most bees and other pollinators do not specialize on just one or a few plants, although I do realize that there are some very specialized relationships between plant and pollinator.

[Mojorabbit]

22. I have 4 backyard hives

and the difference I have noticed this year is they have not made near as much honey as normal. The weather has been so wonky. I am keeping an eye on them and will feed sugar water if they need it but I am hoping the goldenrod bloom will set them up with enough supplies for winter.

[Curmudgeoness]

26. Is this normal?

Does weather always affect the honey production? Here, it has been much wetter than usual, and it has been cooler. I would expect that too much rainy weather would put a damper on the bees' foraging.

Are these hives all honey bees? Have you seen any problems with your population?

[Mojorabbit]

28. I have never seen it before

I usually get two lovely harvests a year and this year was only able to get a very small one after the spring nectar flow. Weather can definitely affect honey production. All honey bees. I am hoping for a better harvest next year as I won't take what they need to prosper and unless there is a good goldenrod bloom I may have to intervene.

[Curmudgeoness]

29. Well, good luck.

And good luck to your bees. I'm pulling for them.

[Mojorabbit]

30. Thanks! nt

[Laffy Kat]

27. If you get a chance to see "More Than Honey" I highly recommend it.

I've been fascinated by bees and bumble bees ever since I saw it. Learned so much!