2016 Bee Report

David Glover, The Bartlett Bee Whisper, talks about bees. This last year 44% of the bee colonies died. This is not as bad as it sounds because every year beekeepers double the number of colonies they have. David reports that colony collapse disorder is not colony collapse disorder but is the result of a small pest called the varroa mite. This creature acts like a tic and feeds on the hemolif – bee blood – out of the bee. It is also the vector for many different bee diseases.  Varroa and starvation are the top two killers of bees. Beekeepers are trying to control the varroa mite. One of the leading candidates is oxalic acid which is injected as a vapor into the hive and will kill the varroa mite.

David also talks about how bees use static electricity to find flowers with food. When bees fly they build up a static charge. When the bee lands on a flower this static charge is opposite to the flower. As a result the pollen in the flower jumps to the bee. The bee then flies to the next flower and charges the pollen on the bee which jumps off the bee while new pollen jumps onto the bee. The static charge of the flower also signals to the bee if it has been recently visited and therefore would have no nectar available.

July 23, 2016

Report on hive losses for 2015
Study about static electricity and bees

Related Resources:
University of Georgia web site on bees
Eco-Friendly Garden: Attracting Pollinators, Beneficial Insects, and Other Natural Predators
Honey Bees and Beekeeping