Hello All,
This week is busy so only a few quick answers as going into yards early 
today .

Jim:
"To my knowledge, no one has ever reported that CCD-effected hives were low 
on pollen & nectar"
 
Not one? Bell Hill Honey reported 500 on the CCD survey.
 
I have read the same thing but is simply not so in MANY cases! All the 
hives which showed CCD symptoms in areas of drought were short on pollen 
and in many cases nectar. No wild flowers the bees turn to corn pollen.

We tried to buy irridated pollen from the west last fall and the first 
container (600 cases) was already spoken for so we placed an order and 
waited for the next. Besides the use of irridated pollen ( been in use for 
around ten years) record amounts of pollen substitute and HFCS were sold 
into beekeeping in many areas.

Many of us beekeepers are suprised by the reports that all the CCD effected 
hives were chock full of pollen & nectar. With the amount of brood shown 
left in the pictures at the CCD site the ring around the brood would need 
replaced almost daily.

 

Consider:
If CCD is traced to a pesticide problem then nothing to research for the 
most part. 

I toss out only as a thought as we all know researchers have got money and 
enough problems to research and the lure of millions in research funding 
would never enter the picture.

Peter:
"it suggests that there are different levels of information and that which 
is getting out into the public domain *may* not bee the whole truth"

 Must be a real shocker to many! 

Bill:
Long way for bees to crawl and why would the bees all crawl in a certain 
direction? Also a huge number were found floating in the lake nearby. 

Strange to say the least.

I certainly do not have the answers to CCD but try to always look for a 
simple answer first and then move to the complicated.

 Not look to the complicated and pass over the simple.

 Commercial beekeepers have always dealt with pesticide issues without any 
help from the government except for the old indemnity program which paid 
for a replacement package if the USDA decided the kill was by pesticides.

 Why was the program dropped around 1978? I have had many kills since then! 
Also many partial wipeouts which only left a weak hive which is weak and 
non productive ( dink).

Consider:
Systemic pesticide seed treatment is new to beekeeping and GMO corn is 
being planted in record levels. Land is coming out of CRP fast and turned 
into corn fields!

Corn futures are down due to the predicted record production this year and 
now soybean futures are on the rise due to many farmers chasing corn prices!
Other countries are increasing production on both. 

My opinion on the topic:
ethanol will not stop our dependance on foreign oil. Big joke on the 
American people. Maybe a baby step in the right direction. When an 
alternate fuel comes on the scene what will those farmers raise? 

The solution in my humble opinion is to pass legislation to force every gas 
station to put in a hydrogen fuel pump and move away from gasoline.

Have a nice day!

bob

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