WHERE ARE THE BEES?

[Ms. Jitomate]

I've had bees for a while now but I planted cilantro (now bolting), Cosmos, Achillea, Marigolds, and herbs interspersed among the tomatoes. I've got Salvias, Zinnias, Echinacea, milkweed, and other natives in my front yard.

These encourage pollinators to stay and visit.

[MissS]

I have a very large garden for the bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. I have not seen any honey bees this year yet. I have seen a very few Bumblebees and carpenter bees. Sadly, the Yellow Jackets seem to be plentiful.

I used to have a bee tree in the field out back. There was a very large hive of honey bees there. The tree fell during a storm and the bees were not seen anymore. For 5 years I did not see a Honey Bee until two years ago. I was thrilled to see them back until last year they tried to start a hive in my grill. Thankfully I saw it before they started to work on building a hive. I just opened the lid to the grill and they moved on. I still enjoyed the bees in the garden, but so far I have not seen a one. Of course this is a late spring here and not much is in bloom yet. Hopefully the colony(ies) survived and will make an appearance soon.

Patti

[saltmarsh]

Originally Posted by Lindalana

Saltmarsh, a bit off topic but I would love to know what kind of teas do you use to repel insects and nourish the plants.

Lindalana, the primary tea I use is made with Powdered Garlic, Powdered Red Pepper, and Powdered Sage. I buy them in quantity from a restaurant supply.

To make 3 gallons of concentrated tea. (This will make 6 gallons of spray.)

In a large stockpot add 1/2 cup each of garlic powder, red pepper powder, and powdered sage to 3 gallons of hot tap water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a slow boil for 15 minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool overnight. After the tea has cooled, strain and bottle until ready to use. Requires no refrigeration and if stored out of direct sunlight, will keep for over a year.

To use: mix with an equal amount of water and spray onto plants to point of runoff.

This may be combined with the teas below and others I use for specfic problems.

http://tomatoville.com/showpost.php?...6&postcount=10

http://tomatoville.com/showpost.php?...00&postcount=3

It can also be combined with Lacto Baccillus inocculant, Molasses, and dishwashing liquid as necessary.

All of these are used with intercropping, companion planting, trap crops and beneficial insects. I'm not an expert by any means and still learn something new most days. Don't be afraid to try something different. If it works, keep it, if not try somethingelse. Remember to have fun and enjoy the nature around you. And enjoy the produce you can't buy for love or money. Claud

[lefolly]

I've noticed a huge increase in the local bee populations compared to last year. The rhodies and tomatillo plants have been swarming with them ever since they started to flower.

[peppero]

I AM STILL HOPING TO SEE SOME ALTHOUGH AS OF THIS DAY I STILL HAVE NOT SEEN A ONE .

[creister]

Well today I finally saw a bumble bee working my squash. Hooray! I went to hand pollinate one and a bee was in the female flower. Hopefully, they stay around.

[coastal bend]

The Bee's left after the second year of the drought . Haven't seen a bee in 2 years. There use to be plenty around until then. I guess they hitched a ride on the south wind to places where there was flowers. I hope they show back up when the drought is over.

[Lindalana]

Saltmarsh,
thank you so much for recommendations! I copied it down and will follow.

[Cole_Robbie]

The White House on Friday announced a federal strategy to reverse a rapid decline in the number of honey bees and other pollinators in the United States that threatens the development of billions of dollars in crops.

http://www.businessinsider.com/r-us-...nators-2014-20

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

The White House on Friday announced a federal strategy to reverse a rapid decline in the number of honey bees and other pollinators in the United States that threatens the development of billions of dollars in crops.

http://www.businessinsider.com/r-us-...nators-2014-20

As part of the plan, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced $8 million in funding for farmers and ranchers in five states who establish new habitats for honey bee populations.

Which 5 States?

[Cole_Robbie]

http://bringmethenews.com/2014/06/20...t-bee-habitat/

The USDA’s incentive program applies to CRP acreage in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Michigan. The Department says those five states have more than half of the country’s commercially managed bee colonies.

[Lee]

The honey bees have come in full force now that I have cantaloupe blooming like crazy! The cukes only attracted the bumble bees, but once the melon flowers opened, I have quite a few honey and wild bees all over the place.

The resident beekeepers on here can tell us more, but I suspect honey bees come to the areas that have the most of what they are seeking and need. Pollen and water.

Lee

[cythaenopsis]

When I saw that PBS Nature program on the "hired bees"... carted across the nation from one state to another during the pollination period of the growing season, I was amazed... and concerned. The depletion of bee colonies is THAT bad that they need hired bees brought in to do the pollination work? I mean it's an amazing feat for sure. To have that level of mastery over them, so that they do all of that work in exchange for being taken care of by humans. But it certainly shows that there's a real problem looming right in front of us. This US government initiative is laudable, but why did they wait so long?

When I was a kid I was afraid of bees. Later on when I learned about how carpenter bees don't sting, I became fascinated by them and photograph them when I can. Today when I see a nice big bumble or carpenter bee, I look at it in admiration even if it flies up and hovers right in front of my face. I love these creatures and I'm so grateful for their role in nature.

[peppero]

BREAKING NEWS:

I actually saw one honeybee yesterday. Mabybe his friends wii come too.

jon

[kath]

Have you seen any more bees, Jon? It seems that in the last 3 weeks the #s have increased steadily here and there were bumble bees and honey bees all over the garden today, especially on the cucumbers and squash.