No Bees

so lucky

Garden Master
Joined
Mar 5, 2011
Messages
8,342
Reaction score
4,963
Points
397
Location
SE Missouri, Zone 6
Someone on this forum captured two separate swarms last year, or two years ago. Maybe Dickybird? Great pictures of the capture of a wild swarm, too, but it seems to me it was from someone else. I think it was one of our gal members posting that exciting event.
I see maybe one or two honeybees a day, now. and we have white clover in our lawn. You would think there would be hundreds, at least. But there are lots of bumbles and masons (I think) on the sunflowers and roses, and other flowers, too.
 

Carol Dee

Garden Master
Joined
Apr 28, 2011
Messages
13,162
Reaction score
21,329
Points
437
Location
Long Grove, IA
Someone on this forum captured two separate swarms last year, or two years ago. Maybe Dickybird? Great pictures of the capture of a wild swarm, too, but it seems to me it was from someone else. I think it was one of our gal members posting that exciting event.
I see maybe one or two honeybees a day, now. and we have white clover in our lawn. You would think there would be hundreds, at least. But there are lots of bumbles and masons (I think) on the sunflowers and roses, and other flowers, too.
My Husband and soon took a wild swarm out of a barn last summer. I will try to find the post.
Also @JimWWhite posted about capturing swarms. (Well his WIFE did!)
 
Last edited:

Jared77

Garden Addicted
Joined
Aug 1, 2010
Messages
2,616
Reaction score
974
Points
277
Location
Howell Zone 5
Here in my little Midwest mitten shaped peninsula state we have honey bees. Not a zillion of them but they have been on the clover and a variety of flowers. These are all wild bees too. Closest hives I know of are a mile or so out.

Seen quite a few bumble bees too more than honey bees but so far it's been a decent season for them.

I think the supplementing is a big issue. You're propping up a weak colony. It's not natural. Your breeding on inferior queens, which produce inferior workers. You have to cull hard and let nature take it's course. But instead the culture has been created where inferior hives are pushed along and the beeks have bred themselves into a corner.

The honeybee will survive. It will take it's losses, and through good husbandry and a smart breeding practices that ensure strong bees are passing along their traits we'll see them back in force.
 

Carol Dee

Garden Master
Joined
Apr 28, 2011
Messages
13,162
Reaction score
21,329
Points
437
Location
Long Grove, IA
Here in my little Midwest mitten shaped peninsula state we have honey bees. Not a zillion of them but they have been on the clover and a variety of flowers. These are all wild bees too. Closest hives I know of are a mile or so out.

Seen quite a few bumble bees too more than honey bees but so far it's been a decent season for them.

I think the supplementing is a big issue. You're propping up a weak colony. It's not natural. Your breeding on inferior queens, which produce inferior workers. You have to cull hard and let nature take it's course. But instead the culture has been created where inferior hives are pushed along and the beeks have bred themselves into a corner.

The honeybee will survive. It will take it's losses, and through good husbandry and a smart breeding practices that ensure strong bees are passing along their traits we'll see them back in force.
I hope you are right.
 

Jeni Ann

Deeply Rooted
Joined
Jun 20, 2011
Messages
199
Reaction score
272
Points
153
Location
East coast of Iowa
The Bees', Butterfly & Bird meadow (and some of what is growing in there) We are seeing LOTS of Monarchs too:celebrate
a1.JPG
a3.JPG
a4.JPG
a5.JPG
 

Gardening with Rabbits

Garden Master
Joined
Oct 24, 2012
Messages
3,545
Reaction score
5,739
Points
337
Location
Northern Idaho - Zone 5B
My yard has been full. Early the raspberries were covered with honeybees. The bumble bees love the comfrey. I planted an anise hyssop plant this year and it has flowered and covered in bumblebees.
 

Smart Red

Garden Master
Joined
Jan 10, 2012
Messages
11,303
Reaction score
7,405
Points
417
Location
South-est, central-est Wisconsin
I've seen plenty of bee varieties this year, myself. It seems we have one I'd never seen before. They live solitary lives in holes -- usually in bare ground. When I hoed the weeds near the front of the house I disturbed near a hundred of these ground bees. Gentle and sweet, they just wanted to get back to their homes and posed no problem for me or my hoe. They can definitely stay as long as they want.
 

catjac1975

Garden Master
Joined
Jul 22, 2010
Messages
9,021
Reaction score
9,150
Points
397
Location
Mattapoisett, Massachusetts
I saw a PBS special on a study done in England concerning bees and pesticides. The pesticides caused the bees navigation system to go awry.
 

Latest posts

Top