It's been many, many years since we have seen more than a few honeybees during the full season. Last year, the count was two. That's right, just two lonely bees for the whole year. Big and small bumblies have moved in, and there are misty clouds of very tiny (1/8") iridescent bees who happily visit the vegs and flowers, but no honeybees. I ensure veg pollination with a tiny artist's brush. It's been quiet news for several years that Virginia is gradually losing the honeybee. Statewide, a normal winter's loss is 15 to 20%; I read last week that a preliminary estimate is over 30% loss this year, probably due to CCD. On another front, local friend who had hives gave them up several years ago, due to not-neighbors who complained. (Not-neighbors did not live within a mile of the apiarist, but managed to get fear-mongering letters printed in the local newspaper as well as saturating the area with posters and flyers. I don't understand people who behave like that.) Daffodils are just about finished for the year. The first ones opened early March, and Doubloon -determined to endure- is finally conceding to the heat. Tulips don't do well in this area, the soil is too clayey. Folks that have them, have been enjoying them for a couple weeks. Lilacs are in bloom, and several people have wisteria which is gracefully grabbing passerby's attention. Most trees are in youthful green, and the oaks are painting everything with their yellow pollen. Smart folks don't open windows during this time -- just a few minutes of 'fresh' air is enough to cover your furniture with the pollen. For these few weeks, everyone drives a pollen-colored car, lol.

I love pollinators and have a single hive and the last thing I would do is discourage you from getting a hive. However, we should also be looking at environmental factors in your own area that could contribute to your lack of honeybees. Number 1 on my list would be weather. IN my area of new england, there was rain nearly every single day between mid JUly and mid August. An extended stretch of unseasonable weather could affect the bees' ability to forage widely, or plant devel0pment might be affected, blooming plants could be knocked down by a combination of rain and wind. So just for the heck of it, why don't we think of all the reasons you may not have many honeybees. Also, think of other pollinators who may or may not be around the garden. You should know I am a very new beekeeeper and seemed to have experienced more failures than successes. However , I feel pretty comfortable sticking my neck out in the midst of some very successful "growers".

Are you putting two separate Trellis side by side?..What is the width of the area you are planting these?..Not understanding exactly what you mean but I plant mine 8-12inches apart...Jeanne

I went to the San Francisco Flower Show at the Cow Palace today. There was a booth there on beekeeping. I spoke to the man there about this problem. There are several theories. Weather conditions in the northeast last winter may have contributed to general poor bee health, which left bees more vulnerable than usual to other stresses. He also told me that some scientists have a theory that systemic insecticides could be a contributing factor. Some of them are neurotoxins and may cause the bees to lose the ability to find their way back to the hive. I heard somewhere that the tracheal and Varroa mites mostly affect honey bees, not the bumblebees. I don't remember my source, so I don't know how reliable the information is. I expect, though, that insecticides might affect any and all bees. I'm not happy about what they could do to humans, either. I mentioned germander. The man at the booth said that his bees loved it, too. Rosefolly