I keep bees.
CCD is WAY overblown...
Problems with losing hives are in descending order:
1: Varroa Destructor
Just like it sounds... Destroys hives...
Worst thing to happen to bees.
Only New Zealand has escaped it so far.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varroa_destructor
2. Small Hive Beetle
Unless you like maggots in your honey comb...
Can wipe out a hive.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_hive_beetle
3. Wax Moth
Is usually able to be controlled by the bees but if the colony gets weak it can wipe it out.
4. European and American Foulbrood
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_foulbrood
5. Pesticides.
This really depends on where your hives are kept.
If you have your hives in the country a farmer spraying will kill em all.
But believe it or not in a city your neighbor spraying one plant usually will have little or no impact.
Maybe GMO corn with built in pesticide is an issue but that would take conclusive testing of which there is none.
# 6 Intensive hive management.
"Professional" bee keepers move their hives often to polinate.
The California almond crop requires a huge quantity of bees to get polinated.
Melon, cucumber and such also require bees.
Professional beekeepers will move their hives to follow the need.
Flatbed truckloads full of bee hives on pallets are unloaded via forklift to provide these pollination services.
Moving these hives puts stress on the colony.
Sure in the past you could do this and the hive would be ok.
But with all the other stress on hives today this is a recipe for disaster.
Moving hives often from state to state also gives a great opportunity for the spread of disease and parasites.
The fact is as follows:
90% off ALL "wild" honey bees are gone.
(honey bees are not native to the Americas BTW)
Look at the clover in your yard..
Look at other flowers...
Mostly all you will see are large bumble bees and some flys...
Used to be honey bees but with all the issues listed above the wild population is pretty decimated.
As go the wild population so goes managed bees.
Varroa Destructor is bee enemy #1
Fix that and over75% of the bee issues will go away.
I keep bees.
CCD is WAY overblown...
Problems with losing hives are in descending order:
1: Varroa Destructor
Just like it sounds... Destroys hives...
Worst thing to happen to bees.
Only New Zealand has escaped it so far.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varroa_destructor
2. Small Hive Beetle
Unless you like maggots in your honey comb...
Can wipe out a hive.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_hive_beetle
3. Wax Moth
Is usually able to be controlled by the bees but if the colony gets weak it can wipe it out.
4. European and American Foulbrood
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_foulbrood
5. Pesticides.
This really depends on where your hives are kept.
If you have your hives in the country a farmer spraying will kill em all.
But believe it or not in a city your neighbor spraying one plant usually will have little or no impact.
Maybe GMO corn with built in pesticide is an issue but that would take conclusive testing of which there is none.
# 6 Intensive hive management.
"Professional" bee keepers move their hives often to polinate.
The California almond crop requires a huge quantity of bees to get polinated.
Melon, cucumber and such also require bees.
Professional beekeepers will move their hives to follow the need.
Flatbed truckloads full of bee hives on pallets are unloaded via forklift to provide these pollination services.
Moving these hives puts stress on the colony.
Sure in the past you could do this and the hive would be ok.
But with all the other stress on hives today this is a recipe for disaster.
Moving hives often from state to state also gives a great opportunity for the spread of disease and parasites.
The fact is as follows:
90% off ALL "wild" honey bees are gone.
(honey bees are not native to the Americas BTW)
Look at the clover in your yard..
Look at other flowers...
Mostly all you will see are large bumble bees and some flys...
Used to be honey bees but with all the issues listed above the wild population is pretty decimated.
As go the wild population so goes managed bees.
Varroa Destructor is bee enemy #1
Fix that and over75% of the bee issues will go away.