Ok, I give -- where are all the bees?

I live in SW Ohio, Zone 6. EVERY year, without fail we have bees galore --
honey bees mostly, but a fair smattering of bumbles as well. This year, all
of my trees and plants bloomed beautifully. I let the grass and weeds grow
in -- they all bloomed (the wild violets nearly covered my front yard -- it
was amazing). The Crab Apple had a HUGE display. In any other spring
season, these trees and plants are just COVERED with bees -- when we walk
down the sidewalk to the cars, we have to dodge the bees they're so
plentiful.

This year, I have seen TWO bumble bees -- both of them inside my parents'
house. That's it -- I have seen a few wasps, a few hornet/yellow jacket
types, and that's it. I've seen no pollinators at all. The trees have lost
their blooms and are leafing out (if not already fully leafed out), the
weeds have lost their blooms, and the early blooming flowers are gone.

What one earth happened to the bees?

James

What one earth happened to the bees?

I think they are all at my house. If I walk out my front door to my car, they
are all over the place. They seem to like my holly bushes this year - funny, I
didn't think that would be something that would attract them.

JNJ wrote:
Ok, I give -- where are all the bees?

I live in SW Ohio, Zone 6. EVERY year, without fail we have bees galore --
honey bees mostly, but a fair smattering of bumbles as well. This year, all
of my trees and plants bloomed beautifully. I let the grass and weeds grow
in -- they all bloomed (the wild violets nearly covered my front yard -- it
was amazing). The Crab Apple had a HUGE display. In any other spring
season, these trees and plants are just COVERED with bees -- when we walk
down the sidewalk to the cars, we have to dodge the bees they're so
plentiful.

This year, I have seen TWO bumble bees -- both of them inside my parents'
house. That's it -- I have seen a few wasps, a few hornet/yellow jacket
types, and that's it. I've seen no pollinators at all. The trees have lost
their blooms and are leafing out (if not already fully leafed out), the
weeds have lost their blooms, and the early blooming flowers are gone.

What one earth happened to the bees?

James


There is a mite that is devastating the honey bee hives. Maybe it wiped
out the bees in your area. :-( I don't know what happened to the bumblebees.

Bob

Haven't seen a single bee on the sweet cherry trees blooming between my
house and the neighbors....they are loaded with flowers, but I'm guessing
there won't be a bumper crop of cherries this year in Spokane.
"Vox Humana" wrote in message
.. .

"JNJ" wrote in message
...
Ok, I give -- where are all the bees?

I live in SW Ohio, Zone 6. EVERY year, without fail we have bees
galore --
honey bees mostly, but a fair smattering of bumbles as well. This year,
all
of my trees and plants bloomed beautifully. I let the grass and weeds
grow
in -- they all bloomed (the wild violets nearly covered my front yard --
it
was amazing). The Crab Apple had a HUGE display. In any other spring
season, these trees and plants are just COVERED with bees -- when we
walk
down the sidewalk to the cars, we have to dodge the bees they're so
plentiful.

This year, I have seen TWO bumble bees -- both of them inside my
parents'
house. That's it -- I have seen a few wasps, a few hornet/yellow jacket
types, and that's it. I've seen no pollinators at all. The trees have
lost
their blooms and are leafing out (if not already fully leafed out), the
weeds have lost their blooms, and the early blooming flowers are gone.

What one earth happened to the bees?

Now that you mention it, I haven't seen many insects in general. I live
on
the east side of Cincinnati and the only bees that I have seen so far are
the big bumble bees. Maybe it is because we has such a prolonged, cold
winter. The trees were unusually beautiful this year and the azaleas look
like they are going to be outstanding.

Just picturing a bee laying on his back with his legs sticking up. Then
someone rubbing vick's vapor rub on a bee's chest and talking soothingly to
it. This is almost more than I can handle! Now, not only SARS but bee
fungus from China! Darn it! They need to keep that stuff in the orient!
(smile!)

Everyone have a good day. I will keep that picture in my head and keep
smiling all day. People will wonder what I'm up to!

loony



don't forget there is also a fungus that attacks the young bee and
disfigures them, but they've found that putting something equivilent to
Vick's vapor rub seems to help.....(I saw this on T.V. with a beekeeper
who
is desperately trying remedies for his hives, and he says this has gotten
99% results with the fungus that attacks them. But both the fungus and
mite
came from China)
madgardener

On Wed, 30 Apr 2003 12:56:55 GMT, animaux wrote:

Probably dwindling in population because of Monsanto, DowElanco and Ortho.


I do not know how the winter was in your area but our winter killed
off most of the wild and cultivated honeybees. They need to get out
every 5 - 6 weeks to relieve themselves and need flying temperatures
(45 degrees F minimum). We had several periods of lower temperatures
for more than 6 weeks and so they died.

On Tue, 29 Apr 2003 19:15:12 -0400, "JNJ" wrote:

Ok, I give -- where are all the bees?

I live in SW Ohio, Zone 6. EVERY year, without fail we have bees galore --
honey bees mostly, but a fair smattering of bumbles as well. This year, all
of my trees and plants bloomed beautifully. I let the grass and weeds grow
in -- they all bloomed (the wild violets nearly covered my front yard -- it
was amazing). The Crab Apple had a HUGE display. In any other spring
season, these trees and plants are just COVERED with bees -- when we walk
down the sidewalk to the cars, we have to dodge the bees they're so
plentiful.

This year, I have seen TWO bumble bees -- both of them inside my parents'
house. That's it -- I have seen a few wasps, a few hornet/yellow jacket
types, and that's it. I've seen no pollinators at all. The trees have lost
their blooms and are leafing out (if not already fully leafed out), the
weeds have lost their blooms, and the early blooming flowers are gone.

What one earth happened to the bees?

James

I do not know how the winter was in your area but our winter killed
off most of the wild and cultivated honeybees. They need to get out
every 5 - 6 weeks to relieve themselves and need flying temperatures
(45 degrees F minimum). We had several periods of lower temperatures
for more than 6 weeks and so they died.

Hmmmm.... I don't know about that stat for this area. We did seem to have
some pretty cold stretches of weather here, but it didn't seem to be all
that worse than any other year.

Maybe it's time to buy some bees.

James

I don't know what the situation has been in southern Ohio, but here in
NE Ohio we have not had ANY wild honeybees for about 5 to 7 years now.
I mean zero. They were all killed off by the varroa mite. In June the
white
clover flowers come out in my yard and they are IGNORED. (In olden times
there would be dozens of honeybees on them at all times; kids went
barefoot at their peril.) Nowadays if you see a honeybee in your yard it's
because there's a beekeeper nearby.

- Alex


On Tue, 29 Apr 2003 19:15:12 -0400, "JNJ" wrote:

Ok, I give -- where are all the bees?

I live in SW Ohio, Zone 6. EVERY year, without fail we have bees
galore --
honey bees mostly, but a fair smattering of bumbles as well. This year,
all
of my trees and plants bloomed beautifully. I let the grass and weeds
grow
in -- they all bloomed (the wild violets nearly covered my front yard --
it
was amazing). The Crab Apple had a HUGE display. In any other spring
season, these trees and plants are just COVERED with bees -- when we
walk
down the sidewalk to the cars, we have to dodge the bees they're so
plentiful.

This year, I have seen TWO bumble bees -- both of them inside my
parents'
house. That's it -- I have seen a few wasps, a few hornet/yellow jacket
types, and that's it. I've seen no pollinators at all. The trees have
lost
their blooms and are leafing out (if not already fully leafed out), the
weeds have lost their blooms, and the early blooming flowers are gone.

What one earth happened to the bees?

On Wed, 30 Apr 2003 23:22:02 -0400, "Alexander Pensky"
wrote:

I don't know what the situation has been in southern Ohio, but here in
NE Ohio we have not had ANY wild honeybees for about 5 to 7 years now.
I mean zero. They were all killed off by the varroa mite. In June the
white
clover flowers come out in my yard and they are IGNORED. (In olden times
there would be dozens of honeybees on them at all times; kids went
barefoot at their peril.) Nowadays if you see a honeybee in your yard it's
because there's a beekeeper nearby.

We had the same situation but then the beekeepers began using a
variety that is resistant to the mites. Those have been swarming and
establishing wild colonies - much to the dismay of the beekeepers of
course. But I suspect that our winter wiped them out also.

A friend of mine keeps four hives on my property and they provide
pollination services to my orchard. He just replaced the dead ones
yesterday so we are back in business just in time for the flowering
season. That is about a week late this year.

John

Hello everyone. A question I can answer, thanks. We live close to you
also, between Falmouth and Dry Ridge, KY. Our bees can fly up to 6 miles
one way, but I think you are further than that!

In the mid 80's American beekeepers discovered 2 mites that are killing the
bees.

One is a tracheal mite. This mite lives inside the bee, in their trachea.
Makes the bee weaker and weaker, till death. Menthol is the treatment used
to kill any tracheal mites. It is a packet of large menthol crystals that
is placed in the top of the hive, on a very warm day. The menthol
melts/evaporates and as it is heavier than air, goes down and permeates the
hive bodies. The bees breathe in the menthol vapors. The vapors kill the
mite.

Unfortunately, this menthol treatment works well. Beekeepers, like many
non-beekeepers, think that the tracheal mites have been overcome. NOT.
Kinda like taking your blood pressure medicine, "Oh, my blood pressure is OK
now, so I don't have to take my medicine anymore". So a lot of beekeepers
lost hives this past winter because they didn't treat in the fall for these
mites.

Beekeepers who raise and

The other mite is a varroa mite. This mite attaches to the back of the
thorax (neck part) of the bees. Sucks out the juices and causes the bee to
die. These mites reproduce in the cells with the baby bees. They eat the
baby's food and suck on the juices. The bee will sometimes be born anyway,
but it will usually have some form of birth defect or virus that causes it
to die soon after hatching (birth).


"JNJ" wrote in message
...
Ok, I give -- where are all the bees?

I live in SW Ohio, Zone 6. EVERY year, without fail we have bees
galore --
honey bees mostly, but a fair smattering of bumbles as well. This year,
all
of my trees and plants bloomed beautifully. I let the grass and weeds
grow
in -- they all bloomed (the wild violets nearly covered my front yard --
it
was amazing). The Crab Apple had a HUGE display. In any other spring
season, these trees and plants are just COVERED with bees -- when we walk
down the sidewalk to the cars, we have to dodge the bees they're so
plentiful.

This year, I have seen TWO bumble bees -- both of them inside my parents'
house. That's it -- I have seen a few wasps, a few hornet/yellow jacket
types, and that's it. I've seen no pollinators at all. The trees have
lost
their blooms and are leafing out (if not already fully leafed out), the
weeds have lost their blooms, and the early blooming flowers are gone.

What one earth happened to the bees?

James