The Mini Page in Monday's News and Observer was about Mysterious Disappearances -Vanishing Animals. The case of the vanishing honeybees was the main focus of the article. Experts believe the varroa mite, pesticides, global warming, many viruses hitting at once and modern beekeeping practices may be adding to the problems honey bees are experiencing.
Experts say honeybees help us grow about one-third of our food. We cannot grow many crops without them, including nuts, berries, fruits and many veggies, such as cucumbers, pumpkins and broccoli. Almonds depend on honeybees for pollination. In California, almond growers need 1.3 million colonies of bees - that's over half of all the honeybees in the US.
Some experts believe moving the colonies around the country just wear out the bees. In our area, some beekeepers move their hives but not me -- those girls are fine just were they are. I've never been a mover and neither are my bees.
