Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Indian Summer
Visited colony today on this 76 degree day. Looking good and certainly had good energy as they swarmed me without smoking them as I opened the top lid. Supplemented their honey with sugar water. Looks like weather will be changing. Could be awhile until the next time I open the supers.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Winter Ready
Wrapped the colony last weekend before the cold spell. Used Tyvek because I couldn't find my tar paper that I thought I had. Oh, and got my first sting. It only took 7 months. Surprised that one got me through my jeans, but I was bending down and they were taught on my thigh. Also added a top spacer board so when I need to add supplemental sugar I could without an extra larger space of another super.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Starting to wind down
Visited a few days ago. Removed most of honey frames in honey super and placed first bag of sugar in for fall food. Today and tomorrow in high 70's.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
The Waggle Dance
So-called "lower" organisms often show sophisticated learning abilities when it aids their survival and reproduction. Bees and their relatives are especially good at learning the location and appearance of flowers. What is the waggle dance of the bee? Bees communicate location information to their fellows with the famous waggle dance first described by Von Frisch in 1974.
A bee returning to its hive, if it has found flowers, makes a distinctive wiggle of the abdomen and dances up the side of the honeycomb. The bee's angle from the vertical indicates the angle of the flower away from the sun. A dance 100 degrees to the left of the 12 o'clock position indicates flowers can be found 100 degrees to the left of the sun, as seen from the hive. If the food is found by flying away from the sun, the bee dances downward rather than upward. The duration of the dance tells other bees the distance of the pollen source—a fast dance indicates food close by.
Von Frisch also identified other factors that aid bee navigation, such as odor particles borne by the foraging bee that returns to the hive. Von Frisch won a Nobel Prize for his work, but many scientists challenged it in various ways. Some suggested that bees responded to sounds rather than the dance, although other researchers believed bees were deaf. Some suggested that bees used odor alone to direct their hive mates, and the waggle dance was irrelevant. These controversies were seemingly put to rest by detailed research carried out by the team of Wolfgang H. Kirchner, of the University of Wurzburg in Germany, and William F. Towne, of the Kutztown University in Pennsylvania. They devised robot bees that delivered messages using waggle dances, or by delivering samples of pollen, or by producing a vibrating sound similar to the beating of wings. Among other things, Kirchner and Towne discovered the following:
1. Bees can indeed hear, "and their ears are well suited for detecting the sounds associated with the dances."
2. "Both sound and dance are needed to communicate information about the location and the food." A bee with clipped wings, which raised the frequency of the sound produced by the dancer, could not recruit other bees.
3. Bees in the audience of the hive may rub their thoraxes against the comb, producing a squeak that vibrates the comb. This causes the dancing bee to stop the dance and dole out samples of food, "so that her audience knows not only the direction and distance to the feeding site but how the food smells and tastes as well."
4. A robot bee, dabbed with a faint floral fragrance and "waggled" by a step motor, successfully guides bees to a sugar solution placed in a distant field.
In 1986 it was discovered that bees form detailed cognitive maps. They optimize their routes to flower locations, taking the shortest route when visiting multiple sites. Bees refuse to respond to a waggle dance that points to the middle of a lake. However, they respond to a waggle dance that points to the opposite shore of a lake.
Does it sound unrealistic to suggest that pictures and maps could be preserved in the tiny heads of insects? The bee brain is tiny compared to a human brain, but it is nevertheless a complex system with over 200,000 different nerve cells.
A bee returning to its hive, if it has found flowers, makes a distinctive wiggle of the abdomen and dances up the side of the honeycomb. The bee's angle from the vertical indicates the angle of the flower away from the sun. A dance 100 degrees to the left of the 12 o'clock position indicates flowers can be found 100 degrees to the left of the sun, as seen from the hive. If the food is found by flying away from the sun, the bee dances downward rather than upward. The duration of the dance tells other bees the distance of the pollen source—a fast dance indicates food close by.
Von Frisch also identified other factors that aid bee navigation, such as odor particles borne by the foraging bee that returns to the hive. Von Frisch won a Nobel Prize for his work, but many scientists challenged it in various ways. Some suggested that bees responded to sounds rather than the dance, although other researchers believed bees were deaf. Some suggested that bees used odor alone to direct their hive mates, and the waggle dance was irrelevant. These controversies were seemingly put to rest by detailed research carried out by the team of Wolfgang H. Kirchner, of the University of Wurzburg in Germany, and William F. Towne, of the Kutztown University in Pennsylvania. They devised robot bees that delivered messages using waggle dances, or by delivering samples of pollen, or by producing a vibrating sound similar to the beating of wings. Among other things, Kirchner and Towne discovered the following:
1. Bees can indeed hear, "and their ears are well suited for detecting the sounds associated with the dances."
2. "Both sound and dance are needed to communicate information about the location and the food." A bee with clipped wings, which raised the frequency of the sound produced by the dancer, could not recruit other bees.
3. Bees in the audience of the hive may rub their thoraxes against the comb, producing a squeak that vibrates the comb. This causes the dancing bee to stop the dance and dole out samples of food, "so that her audience knows not only the direction and distance to the feeding site but how the food smells and tastes as well."
4. A robot bee, dabbed with a faint floral fragrance and "waggled" by a step motor, successfully guides bees to a sugar solution placed in a distant field.
In 1986 it was discovered that bees form detailed cognitive maps. They optimize their routes to flower locations, taking the shortest route when visiting multiple sites. Bees refuse to respond to a waggle dance that points to the middle of a lake. However, they respond to a waggle dance that points to the opposite shore of a lake.
Does it sound unrealistic to suggest that pictures and maps could be preserved in the tiny heads of insects? The bee brain is tiny compared to a human brain, but it is nevertheless a complex system with over 200,000 different nerve cells.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Friday, September 21, 2012
9-21-12
Had been over two weeks since last visit to bees. Didn't know quite what to expect. Was pleasantly surprised, when finding a multitude of healthy bees and almost a full honey super. Removed hs and the middle brood/honey super has a decent amount of honey in it as well.
Will be soon readying bees for cooler weather and determining where I will place during wintertime. Alex was along and thoroughly enjoyed helping and playing with the bees.
Will be soon readying bees for cooler weather and determining where I will place during wintertime. Alex was along and thoroughly enjoyed helping and playing with the bees.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Monday, September 17, 2012
Honey is Honey Right? Wrong.
If you thought all honey tasted the same, you're in for a surprise. Each has a unique color, aroma and flavor profile determined by the type of nectar, source, region, soil and climate known as terroir. Learn the sensory analysis of tasting to determine a honey's botanical origin and learn how liquid gold is made.
Check this out.
http://www.redbee.com/about/
http://www.redbee.com/about/
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Honey… Natural Energy
Honey is also a rich source of carbohydrates, providing 17 grams per tablespoon, which makes it ideal for your working muscles since carbohydrates are the primary fuel the body uses for energy. Carbohydrates are necessary in the diet to help maintain muscle glycogen, also known as stored carbohydrates, which are the most important fuel source for athletes to help them keep going.
Whether you’re looking for an energy boost or just a sweet reward after a long workout, honey is a quick, easy, and delicious all-natural energy source!
Honey as an Athletic Aid
Pre-exercise: For years, sports nutritionists have recommended eating carbohydrates before an athletic activity for an added energy boost. As with many carbohydrates, pure honey may be an effective form to ingest just prior to exercise. When honey is eaten before a workout or athletic activity, it is released into the system at a steady rate throughout the event.
During Exercise: Consuming carbohydrates, such as honey, during a workout helps your muscles stay nourished longer and delays fatigue, versus not using any aid or supplement. Next time you reach for a simple bottle of water, add some honey to it – it might give you that much-needed athletic boost!
Post-exercise: An optimal recovery plan is essential for any athlete. Research shows that ingesting a combination of carbohydrates and protein immediately following exercise (within 30 minutes) is ideal to refuel and decrease delayed-onset muscle soreness. Therefore, honey is a great source of carbohydrate to combine with post-workout protein supplements. In addition to promoting muscle recuperation and glycogen restoration, carb-protein combinations sustain favorable blood sugar concentrations after training.
Usage Tips
When planning your athletic training program, remember that honey is a rich source of carbohydrates, providing 17 grams at just 64 calories per tablespoon. Combining honey with fruits, vegetables, lean meats, whole grains and other healthful foods can add to your total nutrition and give you a great natural energy boost. Try these tips to fuel your diet with the sweet goodness of honey!
- Staying hydrated is one of the most important tools for an athlete. Simply add honey to your bottle of water for an energy boost during your next workout.
- Snacks are a great way to add extra fruits and vegetables to your diet. Try mixing peanut butter and honey, or honey and light cream cheese, as a dip for fresh fruits or vegetables.
- Peanut butter and honey sandwiches on whole wheat bread are a great, high-energy snack to provide a good combination of carbohydrates, protein and fat.
- Since honey is a convenient, portable source of energy, take it with you for tournaments and long periods of activity to help sustain your energy levels.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
September is National Honey Month!
Ah, September… This is the month to celebrate the sweetest gift of nature – honey, of course! This one, simple ingredient is all-natural, delicious and versatile.
The National Honey Board (NHB) has always recognized the importance of honey bees and the benefits of honey. So, in 1989, the NHB worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to give honey the praise that it’s due and September was officially deemed National Honey Month. We’re sure some of you are wondering, Why September? The answer’s quite fitting, really – it’s because much of our U.S. honey is harvested during this time.
Americans consume approximately 1.3 pounds of honey per person annually, and now more than ever, people are realizing the incredible versatility of this all-natural ingredient. From the kitchen pantry to the bathroom vanity and beyond, honey plays a valuable role in our everyday lives.
Get your raw Loess Hills Honey order in today! Supplies will start to dwindle later this month.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Monday, August 27, 2012
Top ten facts about honey that you might not know.
1. Honey is the only non man-made sweetener which also is considered to have healing effects.
2. Honey has a pH level around 3-4 and consists of roughly 18% water. Because of this honey is a very stable substance and can last hundreds of years if properly stored.
3. Honey can reduce fat deposits found in our cardiovascular system.
4. Honey will not ferment in your stomach like refined table sugar or sucrose does. Because of this it does not subject you to a risk of bacterial infection.
5. Honey is the simplest possible molecular form of sugar, which cannot be broken down any further. This allows it to travel directly from the small intestine to the blood stream while not causing any problems to the digestive system like sucrose.
6. Honey is a top choice as fuel for burning body fat during sleep since it has an equal ratio of fructose to glucose.
7. Honey is the best substance to use to treat burns. Honey can effectively subdue pain while quickly healing a wound without scarring.
8. Vitamins as well as antioxidants are found in honey. One special antioxidant known as ‘pinocembrin’ is found only in honey.
9. Honey is known to be a very effective and safe solution to children’s coughs, even more so than over-the-counter medicines.
10. Some recent studies have shown that athletes who consumed honey before and after physical activity have recovered faster than those athletes who did not consume any honey at all.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Friday, August 24, 2012
The Honey Hawk
The Honey Hawk
Ingredients:
2 tbs Loess Hills Honey syrup
2 tbs elderflower liqueur
1 orange slice
chilled Edelweiss 2009 from Prairie Hawk Vinyard
2 tbs elderflower liqueur
1 orange slice
chilled Edelweiss 2009 from Prairie Hawk Vinyard
Directions:
To make the honey syrup, combine 1 cup honey and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Let cool completely, transfer to a container, and refrigerate.
In a champagne flute, pour 2 tablespoons of honey syrup. Next, add in 2 tablespoons of your elderflower liqueur. Squeeze an orange slice into the glass, and drop it in. Top off the glass with Edelweiss 2009 and stir gently to combine.
Now that's a sweet lookin' drink.
How cool are these?
It looks like I'll be making some deliveries of our raw Iowa honey next week. Tell your friends and neighbors, you now have a local vendor for your honey.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Strawberries with Honey Creme Anglaise
I'm going to have to try this.
1 ½ cups heavy cream
½ cup whole milk
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
pinch salt
¼ cup honey
4 egg yolks
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
In a saucepan combine the cream, milk, vanilla seeds and bean. Bring to a simmer. Then turn off the heat and let stand for at least 15 minutes to infuse the cream with the vanilla.
½ cup whole milk
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
pinch salt
¼ cup honey
4 egg yolks
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
In a saucepan combine the cream, milk, vanilla seeds and bean. Bring to a simmer. Then turn off the heat and let stand for at least 15 minutes to infuse the cream with the vanilla.
In a medium bowl whisk the yolks, honey and a pinch of salt.
Bring the cream back to a simmer then slowly pour that into the bowl with the yolks while whisking. Pour everything back into the saucepan and continue to cook on low until it thickens slightly (170-175*F). It should just coat the back of a spatula or wooden spoon.
Strain this mixture into a clean bowl. Stir in the vanilla extract.
Pour warm, if the weather is gray and clouds cover or cold, if the sun persists over the clouds, over a bowl of sliced strawberries.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Extracting honey morning
Going down to Clarence's to extract honey. Wanted to stop by and check on bees. Numbers seem down, but there is still larvae. Did not check lower super as I didn't have my full bee garb. Hoping many are just out early on this nice morning. Currently 8:43am and 68 degrees with no wind.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Friday, August 17, 2012
Benefits of Honey
Soothes Coughs and Eases Colds - Perhaps among the most enjoyed health benefits of honey, the superfood can be used to soothe coughs or ease colds. A mixture of fresh lemon juice and raw honey provides soothing relief for sore throats and helps stop the tickle that stimulates coughing. Raw honey — with all its components including royal jelly, propolis and bee pollen — is high in nutrients and enzymes which kill bacteria and viruses. Children given just a little bit of honey before bed often sleep better and cough less than if given nothing. Don’t forget about honey when searching for home remedies for cough.
Further adding on to the health benefits of honey, the food:
Increases calcium absorption.
Can increase hemoglobin count and treat or prevent anemia caused by nutritional factors.
Can help arthritic joints.
Works as a natural and gentle laxative, aids constipation.
Provides instant energy without the insulin surge caused by white sugar.
Contains a wide array of trace minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, copper, chromium, manganese and selenium, which are critical for healthy cellular insulin sensitivity and blood sugar balance. This superfood does have an effect on blood sugar and contains approximately 53% fructose, so one should only consume this in moderation.
Although honey can be a fantastic health-boosting tool, using the wrong kind of honey may give you the health benefits of honey you expect. A study conducted for Food Safety News shows that at least 75% of the honey sold in the US is actually not real honey, according to Food and Drug Administration standards. In order for honey to be deemed “honey” in the United States, the honey must contain pollen as it naturally would. While the FDA has a strict rule on what is and what isn’t considered real honey, they actually don’t bother to check the honey sold, and so many people are consuming fake, nutrient-depleted honey. The simplest potential solution to this problem would be for you to purchase honey at your local natural health food store, or obtain your honey from a local beekeeper if at all possible.
Read more: http://naturalsociety.com/health-benefits-of-honey-powerful-superfood/#ixzz23rgWYbGF
Further adding on to the health benefits of honey, the food:
Increases calcium absorption.
Can increase hemoglobin count and treat or prevent anemia caused by nutritional factors.
Can help arthritic joints.
Works as a natural and gentle laxative, aids constipation.
Provides instant energy without the insulin surge caused by white sugar.
Contains a wide array of trace minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, copper, chromium, manganese and selenium, which are critical for healthy cellular insulin sensitivity and blood sugar balance. This superfood does have an effect on blood sugar and contains approximately 53% fructose, so one should only consume this in moderation.
Although honey can be a fantastic health-boosting tool, using the wrong kind of honey may give you the health benefits of honey you expect. A study conducted for Food Safety News shows that at least 75% of the honey sold in the US is actually not real honey, according to Food and Drug Administration standards. In order for honey to be deemed “honey” in the United States, the honey must contain pollen as it naturally would. While the FDA has a strict rule on what is and what isn’t considered real honey, they actually don’t bother to check the honey sold, and so many people are consuming fake, nutrient-depleted honey. The simplest potential solution to this problem would be for you to purchase honey at your local natural health food store, or obtain your honey from a local beekeeper if at all possible.
Read more: http://naturalsociety.com/health-benefits-of-honey-powerful-superfood/#ixzz23rgWYbGF
Honey Production and our Loess Hills Brand
Introducing Loess Hills Honey
Early mock-up of our logo on a jar.
Honey orders are being taken now.
Our jars of honey are 1.5 lbs and will cost $12.
Normally you see 1lb jars. We want you to be satisfied!
There are are hundreds of uses for our honey.
You can taste your jar by the end of August or beginning of September. Call today @ 712-328-6627
Monday, August 13, 2012
Does Honey Go Bad?
No, honey does not go bad. In fact, it's recognized as the only food that doesn't spoil. That's raw unrefined honey. (Local)
It will, however, crystallize (become thick and cloudy) over time. If this happens, just remove the lid from the jar; place it in a pan of water; and heat over low heat stirring occasionally until the honey returns to its original consistency. Just don't microwave it.
It will, however, crystallize (become thick and cloudy) over time. If this happens, just remove the lid from the jar; place it in a pan of water; and heat over low heat stirring occasionally until the honey returns to its original consistency. Just don't microwave it.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
After Harvest Visit
Visited the bees this morning with Alex. We keep our bees at a local vineyard and noticed they harvested their grapes recently. I'm guessing that was earlier than usual because of the drought. Captured another shallow frame of honey, so bees are still maintaining their honey production. It was very nice this morning with a temp of about 73 and partly cloudy when we visited.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
A new suit
Alex has been waiting to use his new bee suit that he got from his birthday. We finally had cooler weather and enough time to get out and check our bees.
Honey super I put on on the July 16th is almost full!
Yeah!
Combination of brood and honeycomb.
Some drone cells can be seen here that protrude from comb.
Getting in close.
This is nothin'!
Oh yeah, this is fun. Look I can touch the hive now.
Jackson has been a little tentative approaching the hives in the past.
Not so this morning after he put the suit on.
I can even hold the comb with bees. How exciting!
A little sweaty but had a lot of fun.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Photos from 6-15-12
Friday, July 20, 2012
Copious amounts of honey
Visited bees this morning. Many frames are full of honey. I switched those with outside frames with hardly any comb built on them. Did not see any brood or eggs which makes me nervous but I only checked a handful of frames.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Colony 1
Released replacement queen today. Not sure how she'll do as very few workers are left. It seems the colony is sick do it may have been to late to order. Other colony is doing very well and I went ahead and expanded their supers by one. I guess we'll see what happens.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Story about bees and pesticides
The controversy over possible links between massive bee die-offs and agricultural pesticides has overshadowed another threat: the use of those same pesticides in backyards and gardens.
Neonicotinoid pesticides are ubiquitous in everday consumer plant treatments, and may expose bees to far higher doses than those found on farms, where neonicotinoids used in seed coatings are already considered a major problem by many scientists.
“It’s amazing how much research is out there on seed treatments, and in a way that’s distracted everyone from what may be a bigger problem,” said Mace Vaughan, pollinator program director at the Xerces society, an invertebrate conservation group.
The vast majority of attention paid to neonicotinoids, the world’s most popular class of pesticides, has focused on their agricultural uses and possible effects. A growing body of research suggests that, even at non-lethal doses, the pesticides can disrupt bee navigation and make them vulnerable to disease and stress.
Neonicotinoids are now a leading suspect in colony collapse disorder, a mysterious condition that’s decimating domestic and wild bee colonies across much of North America and Europe. The emergence of colony collapse disorder coincided with a dramatic increase in agricultural neonicotinoid use.
Several European countries, including France, Germany and Italy, have banned agricultural neonicotinoids, though some researchers and pesticide-manufacturing companies say evidence of low-dose harm is still incomplete and methodologically unsound.
A garden center shelf. To determine if a pesticide contains a neonicotinoid, look at the ingredients: Imidacloprid, acetamiprid, dinotedfuran, clothianidin, thiacloprid and thiamethoxam are all neonicotinoids. Photo: Matthew Shepherd/The Xerces Society
Few researchers, however, doubt that high doses of neonicotinoids are harmful to bees — and though research on neonicotinoid use by gardeners, nurseries and urban landscapers has proceeded slowly, a troubling picture has emerged of products found on the shelves of most any garden center.
“For homeowner use products, for backyard plants, the amount of neonicotinoids used is like 40 times greater than anything allowable in agricultural systems,” said entomologist James Frazier of Penn State University.
The Environmental Protection Agency sets its LD50 — the dose at which 50 percent of exposed honeybees will die — for imidacloprid, a common neonicotinoid, at a range of 40 to 400 parts per billion. In a recent study on the effects of imidacloprid, a food dose of just 20 ppb destroyed honeybee colonies. Critics said that bees in the wild wouldn’t be exposed to such a high dose.
Even higher doses, however, have been measured in neonicotinoid-treated gardens. According to toxicologist Vera Krischik of the University of Minnesota, using a standard Bayer plant care product produced imidacloprid levels of 501 ppb in milkweed nectar and 682 ppb in the nectar of agastache, a bee foraging favorite.
In an official company statement from Bayer CropScience, the company said that its “neonicotinoid-based insecticides — both for lawn and garden and crop applications — are safe for honey bees and other pollinators when used according to label directions.”
Yet Krischik’s results came from by-the-label use. “It’s not an artificially high dose,” said Krischik, who doesn’t consider agricultural neonicotinoids to be a threat to bees. “It’s a much higher rate in landscapes than in agriculture. It’s 4 milligrams per square foot in agriculture, but you can put up to 250 milligrams in a three-gallon pot.”
Not everyone may follow instructions, either. “Gardeners have no training in their use, and will often overdose,” said bee biologist Dave Goulson of Scotland’s University of Stirling, co-author of a recent paper on neonicotinoids and hive health. Goulson said in an e-mail that “gardens and fruit-growing areas are potentially interesting/bad.”
A review of neonicotinoids published by the Xerces Society cited several other findings of extremely high non-agricultural imidacloprid levels: up to 850 ppb in rhododendron blossoms measured nearly six months after being treated, and roughly 2,000 ppb in cherry trees tested more than one year after dosing.
'I don't think anybody should be using these things in their backyards.'According to Krischik, several other studies have found extremely high neonicotinoid levels in eucalyptus, maple and linden trees. “Linden trees are the best bee plants out there,” she said. The Xerces Society also calculated that non-commercial apple trees receive neonicotinoid doses an order of magnitude higher than their commercial counterparts.
An open research question is whether neonicotinoids, which spread through a plant’s vascular system and remain active for extended periods of time, accumulate from year to year, especially in perennial plants. “Maybe if we treat once, it stays below lethal levels. But if you treat it two or three or four times, we have no idea,” said Vaughan.
Vaughan said that neonicotinoids are also commonly used in nurseries. People may purchase plants with the intent of providing habitat for bees, but end up poisoning them.
However, Vaughan stressed that an outright ban on neonicotinoids would be a mistake. They’re popular in large part because they’re far less toxic to people than earlier pesticides. In certain situations, such as in-home termite control, they may be appropriate. The key, he said, is determining what those situations are.
More than 1.25 million people have petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency to review its stance on neonicotinoids, which were approved on the basis of limited, largely industry-run safety studies.
“The EPA didn’t ask for the data. They didn’t realize systemic insecticides last a long time in pollen and nectar. They didn’t give money to researchers to look at this. It was an oversight,” said Krischik. “It’s not anybody’s fault. Things happen. And we need to fix it before we lose the bees.”
“I don’t think anybody should be using these things in their backyards. I think they don’t understand that they’re having such a negative impact,” said Vaughan, who wants all neonicotinoid-containing consumer pesticides to be labeled. “Maybe a big butterfly with an X over it and a sign that says, ‘May Kill Pollinators.’”
Neonicotinoid pesticides are ubiquitous in everday consumer plant treatments, and may expose bees to far higher doses than those found on farms, where neonicotinoids used in seed coatings are already considered a major problem by many scientists.
“It’s amazing how much research is out there on seed treatments, and in a way that’s distracted everyone from what may be a bigger problem,” said Mace Vaughan, pollinator program director at the Xerces society, an invertebrate conservation group.
The vast majority of attention paid to neonicotinoids, the world’s most popular class of pesticides, has focused on their agricultural uses and possible effects. A growing body of research suggests that, even at non-lethal doses, the pesticides can disrupt bee navigation and make them vulnerable to disease and stress.
Neonicotinoids are now a leading suspect in colony collapse disorder, a mysterious condition that’s decimating domestic and wild bee colonies across much of North America and Europe. The emergence of colony collapse disorder coincided with a dramatic increase in agricultural neonicotinoid use.
Several European countries, including France, Germany and Italy, have banned agricultural neonicotinoids, though some researchers and pesticide-manufacturing companies say evidence of low-dose harm is still incomplete and methodologically unsound.
A garden center shelf. To determine if a pesticide contains a neonicotinoid, look at the ingredients: Imidacloprid, acetamiprid, dinotedfuran, clothianidin, thiacloprid and thiamethoxam are all neonicotinoids. Photo: Matthew Shepherd/The Xerces Society
Few researchers, however, doubt that high doses of neonicotinoids are harmful to bees — and though research on neonicotinoid use by gardeners, nurseries and urban landscapers has proceeded slowly, a troubling picture has emerged of products found on the shelves of most any garden center.
“For homeowner use products, for backyard plants, the amount of neonicotinoids used is like 40 times greater than anything allowable in agricultural systems,” said entomologist James Frazier of Penn State University.
The Environmental Protection Agency sets its LD50 — the dose at which 50 percent of exposed honeybees will die — for imidacloprid, a common neonicotinoid, at a range of 40 to 400 parts per billion. In a recent study on the effects of imidacloprid, a food dose of just 20 ppb destroyed honeybee colonies. Critics said that bees in the wild wouldn’t be exposed to such a high dose.
Even higher doses, however, have been measured in neonicotinoid-treated gardens. According to toxicologist Vera Krischik of the University of Minnesota, using a standard Bayer plant care product produced imidacloprid levels of 501 ppb in milkweed nectar and 682 ppb in the nectar of agastache, a bee foraging favorite.
In an official company statement from Bayer CropScience, the company said that its “neonicotinoid-based insecticides — both for lawn and garden and crop applications — are safe for honey bees and other pollinators when used according to label directions.”
Yet Krischik’s results came from by-the-label use. “It’s not an artificially high dose,” said Krischik, who doesn’t consider agricultural neonicotinoids to be a threat to bees. “It’s a much higher rate in landscapes than in agriculture. It’s 4 milligrams per square foot in agriculture, but you can put up to 250 milligrams in a three-gallon pot.”
Not everyone may follow instructions, either. “Gardeners have no training in their use, and will often overdose,” said bee biologist Dave Goulson of Scotland’s University of Stirling, co-author of a recent paper on neonicotinoids and hive health. Goulson said in an e-mail that “gardens and fruit-growing areas are potentially interesting/bad.”
A review of neonicotinoids published by the Xerces Society cited several other findings of extremely high non-agricultural imidacloprid levels: up to 850 ppb in rhododendron blossoms measured nearly six months after being treated, and roughly 2,000 ppb in cherry trees tested more than one year after dosing.
'I don't think anybody should be using these things in their backyards.'According to Krischik, several other studies have found extremely high neonicotinoid levels in eucalyptus, maple and linden trees. “Linden trees are the best bee plants out there,” she said. The Xerces Society also calculated that non-commercial apple trees receive neonicotinoid doses an order of magnitude higher than their commercial counterparts.
An open research question is whether neonicotinoids, which spread through a plant’s vascular system and remain active for extended periods of time, accumulate from year to year, especially in perennial plants. “Maybe if we treat once, it stays below lethal levels. But if you treat it two or three or four times, we have no idea,” said Vaughan.
Vaughan said that neonicotinoids are also commonly used in nurseries. People may purchase plants with the intent of providing habitat for bees, but end up poisoning them.
However, Vaughan stressed that an outright ban on neonicotinoids would be a mistake. They’re popular in large part because they’re far less toxic to people than earlier pesticides. In certain situations, such as in-home termite control, they may be appropriate. The key, he said, is determining what those situations are.
More than 1.25 million people have petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency to review its stance on neonicotinoids, which were approved on the basis of limited, largely industry-run safety studies.
“The EPA didn’t ask for the data. They didn’t realize systemic insecticides last a long time in pollen and nectar. They didn’t give money to researchers to look at this. It was an oversight,” said Krischik. “It’s not anybody’s fault. Things happen. And we need to fix it before we lose the bees.”
“I don’t think anybody should be using these things in their backyards. I think they don’t understand that they’re having such a negative impact,” said Vaughan, who wants all neonicotinoid-containing consumer pesticides to be labeled. “Maybe a big butterfly with an X over it and a sign that says, ‘May Kill Pollinators.’”
Lost Colony 1 Queen
Not sure what happened but over that last couple weeks, numbers were reducing and I hadn't seen queen. As I checked on Sunday I planned on checking today to be sure. No eggs or fresh larvae. Bummed, but that's just nature I guess. I felt I've done everything I could do, and the other colony is doing well. So, I've ordered a new queen, however they are sold, out so maybe other people are having similar issues. Hopefully I'll get mine on Thursday. Hoping it won't be too late for the colony itself.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Discouraged
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Checked bees today, not sure if I should be discouraged or just happy that I still see larvae and eggs in both hives. Not much going on as far as growth, however #2 colony is larger than #1. Seeing many more drones than I have before, but don't think there were many if hardly any when I installed. Guess I'll just have to be patient and see. Because #1 has been growing slower, (hardly any advancement in comb in the last few weeks) I decided to supplement their feed for a few days. Saw no queens today, but know they must be there still. Both colonies seemed a little more aggressive, but not over the top.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Health Benefits of Honey
Honey is an excellent natural home remedy for obesity and lowering of cholesterol levels. It mobilizes the extra deposited fat in the body allowing it to be utilized as energy for normal functions and purifying the blood as a result. Fasting on honey and lemon-juice, an alkaline food, is highly beneficial in the treatment of obesity without the loss of energy and appetite. For this natural cure , mix one teaspoon of raw honey (unheated) with the juice of two teaspoons of lime or lemon juice in a glass of room temperature or lukewarm water (not boiling water!). Take this remedy as a wake-up drink once in the morning on a empty stomach. Also commonly taken after a big and oily meal, this simple delicious tonic is an effective digestive and detox tonic. And of course, in every successful weight loss program, do bear in mind that principles such as forming healthy eating habits and diets, and keeping to a regular exercise regime over the long run are extremely important as well.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
5-6-12
Very breezy day with clouds. Though temps in the 80's. Both hives look healthy, however colony #2 is surpassing colony 1 as far a frame build out. Did not see queen in #2 but did see eggs. The first image is new comb to left of center in the box. Most all of it has eggs.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Last day of April
Today was a nice day to check bees. Temps in low 70's and hardly a breeze. Not a whole lot of progress since last week, except eggs are still being laid and brood progressing nicely. I believe numbers are slightly smaller or many bees were out of the hive during my usual late afternoon visit. Their numbers should increase with this new crop of emerging workers. I finely spotted my number 1 queen all by myself. Hadn't done so until this point. I did not see the number 2 queen, but it looks like many eggs are laid and a lot of capped brood, soon to emerge.
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