Hoping the members of bee-l can answer some of the bee questions/worries that we on the gardens list have. If you could post your responses to the gardens list we would be grateful. ([log in to unmask]) Thanks for any and all input. Maryellen Read in Omaha [log in to unmask] ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 6 Jun 1994 07:59:42 LCL To: Multiple recipients of list GARDENS <[log in to unmask]> Subject: No bees Beryl, I live in So. California and I've noticed that we have had very few honey bees here in the last few years. Just wasps and a increase in carpenter and bumblebees. I think I read something about a bee disease killing a number of them here. Is that possible? Pat in Long Beach (where we're waiting for the Killer Bees. Maybe the honey bees have been watching T. V.) >I have suddenly realized that there are no bees in my garden, buzzing >around my lavender bushes or even in neighboring areas here in San Bruno >where I live. The lavender bushes have attracted honey bees and >bumblebees even during the winter months. Now they are all gone. I have >seen only a few cabbage moth butterflys, where in times past there were >lots. Could this be caused by the widespread use of pesticides by my >neighbors? Could they really destroy entire colonies of bees? > >There are so few pollinators in my garden that I may be forced to use a >paintbrush to do some of the job myself. Has any one else experienced >such a drastic decline in insect life in just one or two months time? > >I am really quite troubled by this phenomenon and the popular thinking >that the only good bug is a dead bug. >