A suggestion for CCD

17 years ago

Ive read that organic beekeepers are not seeing CCD and this got me to thinking.

http://www.celsias.com/blog/2007/05/15/organic-bees-surviving-colony-collapse-disorder-ccd/

I emailed Connie J. Britton, Librarian at the Ohio Agricultural Research & Development Center at Ohio State University with some questions including the following which she was kind enough to forward to Dr. James Tew, of OSU Department of Entomology and apiculture specialist. I suggested the routine planting of native wildflowers throughout crop fields as an attractant to bees (honeybee and native) and because it is healthier for the bees to have this varied diet. Perhaps our monocultural industrial agriculture is as draining on the bees as if we were expected to subsist on only one kind of food like, say, pasta. In the wild they draw pollen from many different species of flower in a given field.

Dr Tew replied that: You are correct in your concerns about a varied bee diet. Bees do require that in order for the colony to prosper. I sense that commercial growers would not go to the expense of adding a wildflower mix to their monoculture for no other monetary reason than to help bees. No doubt a common argument would be that the pollination rental fee is their contribution to bee management. Upon leaving the commercial fields, the beekeeper would be responsible for providing the varied diet to his bee colonies you have described. I am not opposed to your suggestion and cannot say whether or not it would work, but I can say that it's not presently done.

So beekeepers what about it? Wouldn't this be a more natural and effective practice than just dropping boxes off near a (toxic) field. Should a push be made to get I.A. to include non-poisonous native wildflowers in their crop planting. I have read that some people are concerned that the bees would mainly visit the wildflowers. In my uneducated opinion I find that doubtful, rather I suspect that these crops might attract native bees and INCREASE pollination (and native bee numbers). On my own property honeybee and their smaller native bee cousins work side by side just fine. About I.A. not being interested in the program my guess is that when the alternative is no crops they may change their tune.

For this to work though, Roundup Ready (GMO) Crops would have to be dispensed with since they are the quintenncential monoculture. Herbicide is sprayed to put down all plants except the crop plant itself.

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Monsanto_and_the_Roundup_Ready_Controversy

But who wants 'em anyway. I mean they are even a suspect in CCD.

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Comments (6)

txbeeguy
17 years ago
Dr. Tew is well known among the U.S. beekeeping community - he authors many articles which are typically well received and his views respected.
zephyray
Original Author
17 years ago
I hate to recommend a non-native but as I work in plant nurseries and if I WAS going to recommend one that honey bees seem to adore it would be lavender (sp. Lavendula). Maybe this is because the native home for both (lavender and honey bee) is the same general landmass. Perhaps they evolved together.
The same goes for rosemary and honeysuckles. Honeybees love 'em. So I guess a good way to attract honeybees is to find aromatic plants that are also native to the same European/Mediterranean region that honeybees come from (though those places are also suffering CCD).
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I'm a new beekeeper. I've started doing more and more research as my hobby progresses and what I'm starting to think is that the losses from colony colapse disorder are mainly a problem for the big apiaries that offer pollination service. They put alot of stress on bees by moving them to new locations with only one source of pollen only to move them again in a month or so. That stress leaves bees open to disease and pests. I have also seen research(I don't remember where so please don't ask me to verify) that suggests that CCD is like chicken pox, it hits once and the survivors are imune. If so, our resident bee poulation should be hit hard and then recover more or less on its own. As far as China is concerned, I think their population is growing faster than their food supply and they're struggling to keep up. You can't expect their bee population to automatically adjust right off the bat so hand pollination becomes the next best option.
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Most scientists seem to think that what they are now calling CCD is actually a 'disorder' (because they don't know what else to call it) that has long been observed in the bee keeping community, both here and abroad. For generations, though in much smaller numbers, bees have been doing this same thing. Long before cell phones, by the way! (lol) The term CCD is a new one, just to make sure that everyone is on the same page. As you can imagine, deceased bees are being evaluated like crazy all over the world! A lot of similarities have cropped up, but nothing (yet) points to any ONE causal agent. Mites are not the instigator of CCD, but can take away from the general well-being of the hive. Bees are also prone to a wide variety of other fungal and bacterial diseases. It could be an instance where the world's bees have just been bombarded by so much that their immune systems are compromised. Some of the articles I've read seem to focus on a fungal strain, Nosema ceranae, as a contributing factor.
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themadfifer
14 years ago
Total newbie to this. Personaly I would not rule out R.f in the form of microwaves, however frequencies are not what I would assume to affect the beasties. However Where it comes to verora mite and viruses and also bacteria, has anyone tried fitting cold cathode U.V which can be run off 12 volt car batteries and are usually supplied for computer systems. U.V kills bacteria and perhaps may kill viruses, surely at a tiny cost it would be worth trying.

Matt
softmentor
14 years ago
Hi, long time GW reader and just exploring the possibilities of bee keeping. I don't know what companion crop would be best for bees but I do know a thing or 2 about companion crops in general. I've been studying them and using them since 1978. Most commercial growers don't want a companion crop growing for the same reason they don't want any other plants or weeds growing. The secondary plants compete for root space and the elements in the soil and fear that they will harbor pests. If you do find a grower who is willing to consider companion crops, the best from the point of view of helping the soil is alfalfa. Other crops include sudan grass, clover, chick pea and vetch. But companion crops do effect mono-crops so, it may be an uphill battle. On a smaller scale, it may be possible to get wild flowers planted around borders and edges where nothing is grown.
Back to what I don't know, I would wonder if the bees would range less far, like to the far end of my field, if there were other flowers closer to keep them busy? I don't know but a farmer might want an informed answer to that when he is depending on pollination for is economic success.
lavender_lass
14 years ago
I saw an article not too long ago (on the antique rose forum) that basically says growers are going to have to interplant, or they'll be pollinating the crops themselves!

Farmers have left hedgerows for years, bordering their fields. It provides a place for wild roses, shad bushes, and many other small shrubs to grow, and gives a living space for birds and other wildlife.

I think crop/orchard growers are going to have to think about doing the same thing. If they want to be certified as green growers (not necessarily organic) then it should be mandatory. They can then charge a little more (for being green) and that will help make up the small loss to their crops. They may be able to save a little on pesticides too, as birds and beneficials will help keep some of the bugs down....not all, but a few :)
iammarcus
13 years ago
What effect would UV light have on the bees? It would definitely attract them.

A suggestion for CCD

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txbeeguy

zephyray
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A suggestion for CCD

Comments (6)

txbeeguy

zephyrayOriginal Author

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zephyray
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