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July 22, 2008 at 6:21 am #587565
jimmyjamesMemberI am finding walking, non-flying bumblebees everywhere….they are smaller than usual as well. What is up with this?
July 22, 2008 at 6:31 am #632006
BonnieParticipantWe don’t have hardly any bumblebees here. Normally we have a whole bunch flying around our flowers and lavender but not this year. there is a big shortage.
July 22, 2008 at 6:52 am #632007
cjboffoliParticipantI had a ton of bees in my garden near the Junction back in April and May. But for the past couple of months they’ve just disappeared. A few odd ones have been working the lavender and oregano flowers lately. But a fraction of the number we’d usually have at this time of year.
July 22, 2008 at 12:51 pm #632008
MagpieParticipantI read somewhere that the honey bee and bumble bee population has been diminishing. I have noticed it also. I have a ton of lavender in my yard and they used to be covered, now I have 3 or 4 at a time. I think I read some where that without honey bees and pollination there would be no food in a fairly short time. Maybe there is something to be concerned about?
July 22, 2008 at 1:33 pm #632009
JenVMemberwe found a tired old bumblebee crawling across the living room floor last night! we managed to get it back outside safely. didn’t really think anything of it until I saw this thread.
July 22, 2008 at 2:12 pm #632010
cjboffoliParticipantI’m not sure if this is the reason for the lack of bees around West Seattle this summer, but Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has been all over the news for the past few years. Bee populations in Western Washington have been largely OK so far.
Of greatest concern is that no one really understands what is causing the bees to leave the hive and not return. It might be a virus or natural cause. But other theories include chemical fertilizers and even cell phone signals as being responsible for confusing the bees.
Certain agricultural industries are pouring heaps of money into research as billions of dollars in food crops depend on honey bees.
July 22, 2008 at 3:11 pm #632011
IrukandjiParticipantI think the bees are all in my yard :).
Thank you for the synopsis of CCD. I’d not heard that phones may be a contributing factor. Interesting indeed.
We did have a slow walker bee. My toddler managed to ‘pet’ it and earned his first bee sting last week. So much to learn.
July 22, 2008 at 3:18 pm #632012
rs261MemberIf it is too cold out, bumblebees can not fly…
For lots of bumblebee information go to http://www.bumblebee.org/faqBehaviour.htm
July 22, 2008 at 4:14 pm #632013
thriftwaygirlParticipantI read an article somewhere that there is a pesticide used that is affecting the bees which is contributing to the “CCD”.
This pesticide, shocks the bees somehow, which causes them to be unable to find their way back “home”. Due to them not being able to stand the cold weather, they usually perish in about a day or so.
July 22, 2008 at 7:27 pm #632014
HuindekmiParticipantUnfortunately, this is not related to Colony Collapse Disorder. This is from the AP earlier this year:
Washington beekeepers say a devastating new pathogen is killing their bees in droves, just one year after many were relieved that they had avoided a mysterious colony collapse disorder that silenced hives all over the country.
Some beekeepers are helping pay for a crash research program at Washington State University to figure out what’s killing bees.
Yakima beekeeper Eric Olson, who runs the state’s largest commercial pollination business, said he’s lost 80 percent of his hives in Western Washington – more than 4,000 in all – while his hives in Central and Eastern Washington have survived.
The new pathogen, nosema ceranae, is a fungus that attacks the bee’s gut, making it impossible to process food. The bees eventually starve to death.
“It’s a major disaster in Western Washington. We are into a huge emergency situation,†Olson said. “I’m scared, and I don’t mind saying so.â€
Other commercial pollinators with bees in Western Washington were just as hard hit.
Eight of Washington’s 10 most valuable crops per acre in 2006 depend on bees for pollina- tion. That includes apples, the state’s biggest crop, worth $1.4 billion annually.
In all, at least $1.8 billion worth of crops in Washington are nothing without bees.
The fungus seems to love the warm, wet climate in Western Washington and is flourishing. Last I heard, beekeepers from Eastern Washington have been reluctant to bring their hives to this side of the mountains.
Yes, it is a serious issue.
July 22, 2008 at 8:10 pm #632015
SueParticipantInteresting. I started a garden this year, and the bees were just loving my lavender up until about a month ago and then I barely see them anymore. And when I moved in here a year ago, I would battle bees at the front door as they loved my front flowering bush. I’ll admit I don’t mind them being gone from my front door from a practical standpoint, but I do understand the seriousness of their being gone.
July 24, 2008 at 12:56 am #632016
TammiWSMember -
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