The headline sure did not seem to relate to the total story of “collapse update”. It was, however, an interesting story.
Wow. An article I can comment on from firsthand knowledge.
The article is correct in part where it notes that neonics are not the issue. The big issue is still varroa and varroa related disease and hive weakness caused by varroa.
However, the article also failed to mention that lousy beekeeping practices and rotten forage caused by current ag practices are major contributing issues.
Not splitting a colony which has grown too fast or kill off replacement queen cells.
Being greedy and leaving inadequate honey (food reserves for overwintering)
Poor ventilation
Varoa mites(nasty little bastards)
Tracheal Mites
Hive beetles (gross)
Failing to re-queen after a 4th season.
The only ones impractical to try to fix are Varoa mites and hive beetles. It's best to kill off the hive, boil the wood-ware in water with lye, move to another location and start over again. I have also found recent successes by raising the height of my hives off the ground to about ten feet high. I use those folding portable deer hunting stands. This has eliminated my beetle problem, ventilation issues, and I have yet to get Varoa mites in an elevated hive. I noticed that swarms and wild colonies make their hives up in the trees or other structures from eight to forty feet up. I think being close to the soil invites all kinds of bacteria, bugs, parasites, damp dew every day / night, and such.
I want to hear more about the bee “medium.” She sounds like a fun gal to party with ... if you can get her down out of her tree.
Just wanted to add to this. If you care about the bees, do not destroy your first bursts of dandelions in early spring. (not a rich source, I know) This is the first blooms feeding for a lot of bees. After the first flush, do what you must but leave the first for the hungry bees.
Since my son discovered that bees like celosia, he wants to plant them in all the flowerbeds so that we have a yard full of busy little bees.
On-topic, the misuse of science by anti-science Luddite leftists is nothing new. “Organic” foods, the use of “supplements” as pharmaceuticals, anthropogenic “climate change,” the majority of nutrition fads—all are examples of the misuse of science to push an agenda.
Honestly, I wish that conservatives were distinctly better in this area, but they are not. Sometimes, they push a different agenda with pseudo-science, and other times, they are in lock-step with the leftist agenda.
And Global Warming too.
I remember when it was global warming’s fault.