Hello Lewis & All,

> My general impression was that
> it was a report on what beekeepers think killed their bees.
I'm not
> particularly interested in what a beekeeper thinks killed his bees.  I am 
> more
> interested in what actually killed the bees.

I have been wanting to say the same Lewis but many would think I was dissing 
beekeepers.

The CCD survey is similar.  The actual number of hives checked compared to 
the number of hives (over two million in U.S.) would not even make a 
statistic.

The hives samples were taken from provided information but surveys are as 
you say.

CCD sounds better to the wife than the usual reasons for loss like:

"wax moths killed my bees"

"  SHB killed my bees"

"winter killed my bees"

or the new one I like "drought killed my bees"

Plugged supers being removed from yards in the highest temps I have ever 
done. Still with hydration and breaks we are moving forward. I am beginning 
to get used to getting up before the sun rises.

I drive the truck only.

Down the road at the "other" beekeepers yards.

Honey pulled from supers and some loss from starvation. Two are waiting for 
the weather to break.
Good luck with that!

Both removed a couple yards and waiting. I feel the heat is better than days 
of rain when the weather breaks as I hate to deal with mud.

Worse drought for our area since the dust bowl days with weathermen saying 
the end will come when cold arctic air pushes out the high pressure around 
Halloween. Cattle markets down a third due to herd sell offs and big bales 
prices approaching $100 a bale. Buyer beware as the last bales being rolled 
now have no protein but look like a bale.

My advice is to sell now as prices could be down fifty percent when the 
holdouts sell this fall *in our area*.

Agriculture is taking a huge hit. Will take a few years for those still in 
business to come back.
The USDA sent me a letter (farmers also)saying they would loan me money at 
low interest rates.
Kind of like the Casino loaning money charging interest to keep you at the 
tables shooting craps!

My bees after supers pulled look great (which really surprises me) and so 
far it seems varroa levels are not as high as I suspected. I am sure we will 
find yards which are in trouble.

Has there ever been research the list knows of on the distance bees will fly 
to gather water? Pete?

Nectar is still coming in at the home yard as two trucks are sitting outside 
with honey on the bed floors with no bees cleaning up the honey . None are 
up trying to get at the supers waiting to be extracted.
I suspect soybean nectar.

bob

W.C. Fields quote:
" I spent half my fortune on alcohol, gambling and wild women and the rest I 
wasted" 

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