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Date: | Sat, 6 Jan 2007 15:37:27 GMT |
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>>Maybe the list can help out here -- to the best of our knowledge,
honeydew may be a poor nutrient, but isn't toxic.
I can't comment to much on honeydew but, to my concern, my hives went
into the winter with significant amounts of late fall honey in the
deeps that began to crystalize. I've had an incredibly mild winter
on Long Island (no real freeze as of today Jan. 6th!) and the bees
have been taking flights. Hence, the crystalized honey has not been
an issue.
I've seen dandelions and forsythia blooming! Skunk cabage is coming
up in the marshes. If the bees start brooding en masse and a cold
winter sets in, colonies will be in trouble by March. They've
already consumed disproportionate amounts of stores.
On the other hand, I am saving on heating oil!
>>We've now documented the bee loss problem in 10 states, many of
which DO NOT have a fall honeydew flow. ... the colony
collapse is rapid - 2 to 3 weeks or less. ... some clues that
suggest that the current problem can be passed to other colonies,
yards...
It sounds like a virus. Bees on the verge of death are known to take
a last flight away from the hive. It might be telling to locate some
feral colonies in remote areas for a comparison. If the feral
colonies are doing well, you can rule out honeydew or other nectar
sources.
Waldemar
Long Island, NY
-- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info ---
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