Restricting Beekeeping

News reports of the loss of honey bee colonies over the past four years have stirred interest in keeping bees. Across America hobbyist beekeepers are placing bee hives in urban and suburban backyards and city rooftops. Some want to help reverse the decline in honey bee colonies. Others want to ensure a supply of bees for their home gardens to grow some of their own food. For many, beekeeping provides an opportunity to look into the complicated life of these intriguing social insects. A recent article in USA Today, http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-06-27-city-restrictions-beekeeping-fights_n.htm, points to the fact that honey bees are misunderstood, unappreciated, or feared by some. Instead of welcoming honey bees and beekeepers, some municipalities are attempting to keep bees out by passing restrictive ordinances. Those who request banning bees from a community do not realize the unexpected consequences of their actions. While ordinances may ban beekeeping, the laws do nothing to control bees and other stinging insects. Insects simply don’t abide by written laws. Removing managed honey bee colonies from a residential community opens an environmental niche for less desirable insects to fill.

Increasing the number of managed bee hives across the country offers benefits. First, more pollinators become available. Many of the new beekeepers are informed stewards of the environment. As they study honey bee biology and the craft of beekeeping, they insist upon using measures that protect the bees and our natural resources. Experienced beekeepers also serve communities by answering numerous requests from the public and governmental agencies for handling honey bee swarm removal and stinging insect emergencies. Beekeepers try to prevent problems with the public by adhering to “good neighbor” practices. They limit exposure of the bees to others by carefully placing hives so that bees won’t fly across areas frequented by people, provide the bees water, and work the bees when conditions are favorable and people are not present. In today’s photo colorful crepe myrtle blossoms attract honey bees to suburban landscapes. Honey bees need our protection.

--Richard

Controlling Varroa Mites

Varroa mites exist on almost every continent. Australia is probably the only location that does not have them yet. These mites are so damaging to the honey bee in the United States because the mite is not native to our bee. It is thought that Varroa jumped onto our honey bees, which are of European origin, from the Asian bee. Having lived together for a great length of time, the Asian bees and the Varroa parasites developed a working balance. If a parasite kills all of its hosts, it is doomed to die off as well. It is not practical to expect to be able to eradicate the Varroa mite. It is more reasonable to attempt to maintain honey bees that can live with the Varroa as the Asian bees do.

As beekeepers move away from using chemical miticides aimed at killing the Varroa mites, they are employing a number of integrated pest management techniques to reduce the numbers of mites in the colony. Some races of honey bees have been found to have behavioral traits that help them live with the mites. These honey bees can detect Varroa mites inside the capped brood cells. The bees open the cells and remove the developing pupa as well as the mites. Beekeepers can also dust the adult bees in the hive with powdered sugar to cause the bees to preen the mites off of each other. When the mites fall through screens at the bottom of the hive, they fall to the ground and are eaten by ants. Some essential oil-based mite treatments are being used in place of harsh chemicals to treat bees for mites. Beekeepers are adapting to the Varroa mites. Today’s photo is of a favorite shrub of the Mid-South, the crepe myrtle, which blooms throughout the summer and often attracts a great number of honey bees for nectar and pollen.
--Richard