WHERE ARE THE BEES?

peppero · June 7, 2014

Maybe I am blind but I cannot recall seeing a single honeybee and VERY few carpenter bees this year. How about the rest of you?

jon

Redbaron · June 7, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by peppero

Maybe I am blind but I cannot recall seeing a single honeybee and VERY few carpenter bees this year. How about the rest of you?

jon

I am actually seeing a few more honey bees this year than last (even got stung once already walking barefoot in the yard), no sweat bees yet though.

Phillip W. · June 7, 2014

I have a yard full of grass/ clover that I have not mowed on purpose trying to attract bees. I have seen very few honey bees , the carpenter bees and others are plentiful .

feldon30 · June 7, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by peppero

Maybe I am blind but I cannot recall seeing a single honeybee and VERY few carpenter bees this year. How about the rest of you?

jon

https://www.google.com/search?q=colo...lapse+disorder

heirloomtomaguy · June 7, 2014

I have bees where im at and seems like this year is the year of the hornet

b54red · June 7, 2014

I have hardly seen any honey bees for the last few years but this year I am seeing a fair number. Carpenter bees are always around chewing into the timber on my shed and porch.

Bill

Gerardo · July 17, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by heirloomtomaguy

I have bees where im at and seems like this year is the year of the hornet

I second the year of the Hornet, and the figeater beetle is also saying hello. Lots of Butterflies. Bees are limited, but present.

Cole_Robbie · February 5, 2016

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-35484763

Spread of bee disease 'largely manmade'

Chucker · June 7, 2014

Just got back from mowing - paid special attention to the bees because of this thread. My yard is in good shape as far as bees are concerned. I have tons of the large fuzzy bumble bees and a bunch of smaller ones that may or may not be honey bees (I don't know my bees very well).

My favorite part of my yard, not exactly bee related, and they are not out yet, but I have Cicada Killer Wasps. I really enjoy these guys. They seem to be extremely near-sided and are pretty much all around you while you mow. I think my neighbor would like me to dump something toxic down their holes, but I like them.

Riceloft · June 7, 2014

Plenty of carpenter bees as usual and I've seen more honey bees than the past few years.

Fusion_power · June 7, 2014

Honeybees were decimated by tracheal mites in the mid 1980's, by varroa mites in the early 1990's, and have been hit hard by colony collapse disorder over the last 7 years.

I've been a beekeeper for 45 years now and have about 15 colonies scattered in North Alabama. I also have gotten several beginners started with bees in the last few years. My bees are kept entirely without treatments of any sort. They can manage varroa and tracheal mites on their own.

Colony collapse disorder traces back to two things. Neonicotenoid pesticides have been increasingly linked to colony death. There is also a bee virus that is highly associated with colony deaths.

Cole_Robbie · June 7, 2014

My family has one honey bee hive that has been untouched for 25 years. I can see and hear the bees swarming around the hive on a sunny day.

I am yet to see a bumble bee on a tomato plant. I don't know if that is why my outdoor plants are not setting fruit very well. Another market grower told me this morning that his plants weren't setting, either. Our weather has been very wet and cloudy; that could be part of the problem. Either the pollen is clumping, or the bees are not as active due to lack of sunlight, or both.

saltmarsh · June 7, 2014

I just finished pruning and trellising my cucumbers yesterday and the honey bees and bumble bees were working the cucumber blooms and the pole bean blooms on the next row like crazy. Claud

peppero · June 7, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by saltmarsh

I just finished pruning and trellising my cucumbers yesterday and the honey bees and bumble bees were working the cucumber blooms and the pole bean blooms on the next row like crazy. Claud

CLAUDE WERE YOU BORN ORGANIZED OR DID YOU TURN OUT THAT WAY? NICE GARDEN.

JON

Brandon558 · June 7, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by peppero

CLAUDE WERE YOU BORN ORGANIZED OR DID YOU TURN OUT THAT WAY? NICE GARDEN.

JON

DITTO....

Claude....thats one heck of a garden. Not to bash this thread but i wana see more pics!

As far as the bee's....I had a few when the bushes were blooming good but now i dont have many at all.

I need them to find my okra plants!

June 7, 2014	#1
peppero Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: selmer, tn Posts: 2,944	WHERE ARE THE BEES? Maybe I am blind but I cannot recall seeing a single honeybee and VERY few carpenter bees this year. How about the rest of you? jon

June 7, 2014	#5
heirloomtomaguy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: glendora ca Posts: 2,560	I have bees where im at and seems like this year is the year of the hornet __________________ “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

June 7, 2014	#3
Phillip W. Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Piedmont N.C. Posts: 10	I have a yard full of grass/ clover that I have not mowed on purpose trying to attract bees. I have seen very few honey bees , the carpenter bees and others are plentiful .

June 7, 2014	#6
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	I have hardly seen any honey bees for the last few years but this year I am seeing a fair number. Carpenter bees are always around chewing into the timber on my shed and porch. Bill

February 5, 2016	#8
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-35484763 Spread of bee disease 'largely manmade'

June 7, 2014	#9
Chucker Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Illinois Posts: 180	Just got back from mowing - paid special attention to the bees because of this thread. My yard is in good shape as far as bees are concerned. I have tons of the large fuzzy bumble bees and a bunch of smaller ones that may or may not be honey bees (I don't know my bees very well). My favorite part of my yard, not exactly bee related, and they are not out yet, but I have Cicada Killer Wasps. I really enjoy these guys. They seem to be extremely near-sided and are pretty much all around you while you mow. I think my neighbor would like me to dump something toxic down their holes, but I like them.

June 7, 2014	#10
Riceloft Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Parma, Ohio (6a) Posts: 299	Plenty of carpenter bees as usual and I've seen more honey bees than the past few years.

June 7, 2014	#11
Fusion_power Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,251	Honeybees were decimated by tracheal mites in the mid 1980's, by varroa mites in the early 1990's, and have been hit hard by colony collapse disorder over the last 7 years. I've been a beekeeper for 45 years now and have about 15 colonies scattered in North Alabama. I also have gotten several beginners started with bees in the last few years. My bees are kept entirely without treatments of any sort. They can manage varroa and tracheal mites on their own. Colony collapse disorder traces back to two things. Neonicotenoid pesticides have been increasingly linked to colony death. There is also a bee virus that is highly associated with colony deaths.