Have you seen a honey bee this spring?

[steelheader4ever]

I have been searching the internet for info and have found some that talk about CCD (Coloney Collsape Disorder) and other diseses and got to thinking if I had seen a bee this spring at all and have to say no. One article said that the bee industry had lossed 33% in bee loss but just standing outside for a 10 minutes I became much more alarmed when I saw none flying in the evening sun.
Is there anyone with any useful info that I might have missed?

[STGRule]

A few. Mostly Italians. Would prefer to see more natives.

[sprigkiller09]

Found a huge colony while turkey hunting. And saw a swarm in the neighbors trees a few days ago. Def not as many as there once was.

[Chrome Bumper]

Darn few, always have a few in the boat that see the orange stuff in the boat and come in for a little rest.

[Joel O]

I've only been seeing bumblebees so far.

[Ryan Pultz]

Now that you mention it I have not seen as many. I was talking with someone at work and he was saying he was worried that Africanized bee's would swarm up north cause of all the smoke and fires in Cali right now rp

[C-lice]

I haven't seen many. My parents have a hive in an oak tree at their house that's still going strong. Of course there could be 500 bees there instead of 1500 and I'd never know the difference...

[wilsonriverfisher]

I heard someplace that cell phone towers are helping the decline on the honey bee population. I think it does something to there radar system.
http://www.independent.co.uk/environ...es-444768.html

Are mobile phones wiping out our bees?

Scientists claim radiation from handsets are to blame for mysterious 'colony collapse' of bees
It seems like the plot of a particularly far-fetched horror film. But some scientists suggest that our love of the mobile phone could cause massive food shortages, as the world's harvests fail.
They are putting forward the theory that radiation given off by mobile phones and other hi-tech gadgets is a possible answer to one of the more bizarre mysteries ever to happen in the natural world - the abrupt disappearance of the bees that pollinate crops. Late last week, some bee-keepers claimed that the phenomenon - which started in the US, then spread to continental Europe - was beginning to hit Britain as well.
The theory is that radiation from mobile phones interferes with bees' navigation systems, preventing the famously homeloving species from finding their way back to their hives. Improbable as it may seem, there is now evidence to back this up.
Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) occurs when a hive's inhabitants suddenly disappear, leaving only queens, eggs and a few immature workers, like so many apian Mary Celestes. The vanished bees are never found, but thought to die singly far from home. The parasites, wildlife and other bees that normally raid the honey and pollen left behind when a colony dies, refuse to go anywhere near the abandoned hives.
The alarm was first sounded last autumn, but has now hit half of all American states. The West Coast is thought to have lost 60 per cent of its commercial bee population, with 70 per cent missing on the East Coast.
CCD has since spread to Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece. And last week John Chapple, one of London's biggest bee-keepers, announced that 23 of his 40 hives have been abruptly abandoned.
Other apiarists have recorded losses in Scotland, Wales and north-west England, but the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs insisted: "There is absolutely no evidence of CCD in the UK."
The implications of the spread are alarming. Most of the world's crops depend on pollination by bees. Albert Einstein once said that if the bees disappeared, "man would have only four years of life left".
No one knows why it is happening. Theories involving mites, pesticides, global warming and GM crops have been proposed, but all have drawbacks.
German research has long shown that bees' behaviour changes near power lines.
Now a limited study at Landau University has found that bees refuse to return to their hives when mobile phones are placed nearby. Dr Jochen Kuhn, who carried it out, said this could provide a "hint" to a possible cause.
Dr George Carlo, who headed a massive study by the US government and mobile phone industry of hazards from mobiles in the Nineties, said: "I am convinced the possibility is real."
The case against handsets
Evidence of dangers to people from mobile phones is increasing. But proof is still lacking, largely because many of the biggest perils, such as cancer, take decades to show up.
Most research on cancer has so far proved inconclusive. But an official Finnish study found that people who used the phones for more than 10 years were 40 per cent more likely to get a brain tumour on the same side as they held the handset.
Equally alarming, blue-chip Swedish research revealed that radiation from mobile phones killed off brain cells, suggesting that today's teenagers could go senile in the prime of their lives.
Studies in India and the US have raised the possibility that men who use mobile phones heavily have reduced sperm counts. And, more prosaically, doctors have identified the condition of "text thumb", a form of RSI from constant texting.
Professor Sir William Stewart, who has headed two official inquiries, warned that children under eight should not use mobiles and made a series of safety recommendations, largely ignored by ministers.



mike

[Smoked Salmon]

My uncle had a swarm arrive at his house last week.

Unfortunately they moved into the wall and are planning on summering.

[PapaHog]

I have not seen one and we usually have a lot of them. They are needed to do the work of a bee but I like them not to live in my back yard.

[Fried Oyster]

tons of them around my house in clackamas.

[sandman]

I live along the pudding river and theres alot of them pollinating the blackberrys.Theres so many theres a loud buzz

[Fish Mode]

I've a friend who's all worried with the depletion of the honey bees and the decline of the agricultural support for human kind society...nice.

[lumberguy]

A month ago my daughter was at soccer try-outs at Liberty H.S. when a swarm of them covered the field !! I was in the stands watching and, at first, all you could see was a bunch of 13 year old girls doing a funny dance. Then it was apparent what they were dancing from. Only a couple of girls got stung and the bees soon where on their way. Very weird to watch a very large swarm of bees converge on an area like that!!

[steelheader4ever]

Originally Posted by wilsonriverfisher

I heard someplace that cell phone towers are helping the decline on the honey bee population. I think it does something to there radar system.
http://www.independent.co.uk/environ...es-444768.html

Are mobile phones wiping out our bees?

Scientists claim radiation from handsets are to blame for mysterious 'colony collapse' of bees
It seems like the plot of a particularly far-fetched horror film. But some scientists suggest that our love of the mobile phone could cause massive food shortages, as the world's harvests fail.
They are putting forward the theory that radiation given off by mobile phones and other hi-tech gadgets is a possible answer to one of the more bizarre mysteries ever to happen in the natural world - the abrupt disappearance of the bees that pollinate crops. Late last week, some bee-keepers claimed that the phenomenon - which started in the US, then spread to continental Europe - was beginning to hit Britain as well.
The theory is that radiation from mobile phones interferes with bees' navigation systems, preventing the famously homeloving species from finding their way back to their hives. Improbable as it may seem, there is now evidence to back this up.
Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) occurs when a hive's inhabitants suddenly disappear, leaving only queens, eggs and a few immature workers, like so many apian Mary Celestes. The vanished bees are never found, but thought to die singly far from home. The parasites, wildlife and other bees that normally raid the honey and pollen left behind when a colony dies, refuse to go anywhere near the abandoned hives.
The alarm was first sounded last autumn, but has now hit half of all American states. The West Coast is thought to have lost 60 per cent of its commercial bee population, with 70 per cent missing on the East Coast.
CCD has since spread to Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece. And last week John Chapple, one of London's biggest bee-keepers, announced that 23 of his 40 hives have been abruptly abandoned.
Other apiarists have recorded losses in Scotland, Wales and north-west England, but the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs insisted: "There is absolutely no evidence of CCD in the UK."
The implications of the spread are alarming. Most of the world's crops depend on pollination by bees. Albert Einstein once said that if the bees disappeared, "man would have only four years of life left".
No one knows why it is happening. Theories involving mites, pesticides, global warming and GM crops have been proposed, but all have drawbacks.
German research has long shown that bees' behaviour changes near power lines.
Now a limited study at Landau University has found that bees refuse to return to their hives when mobile phones are placed nearby. Dr Jochen Kuhn, who carried it out, said this could provide a "hint" to a possible cause.
Dr George Carlo, who headed a massive study by the US government and mobile phone industry of hazards from mobiles in the Nineties, said: "I am convinced the possibility is real."
The case against handsets
Evidence of dangers to people from mobile phones is increasing. But proof is still lacking, largely because many of the biggest perils, such as cancer, take decades to show up.
Most research on cancer has so far proved inconclusive. But an official Finnish study found that people who used the phones for more than 10 years were 40 per cent more likely to get a brain tumour on the same side as they held the handset.
Equally alarming, blue-chip Swedish research revealed that radiation from mobile phones killed off brain cells, suggesting that today's teenagers could go senile in the prime of their lives.
Studies in India and the US have raised the possibility that men who use mobile phones heavily have reduced sperm counts. And, more prosaically, doctors have identified the condition of "text thumb", a form of RSI from constant texting.
Professor Sir William Stewart, who has headed two official inquiries, warned that children under eight should not use mobiles and made a series of safety recommendations, largely ignored by ministers.



mike

A real double edge sword, no bees versus population control? I think I would rather eat and throw out the cell phones. Thanks Mike.

[joemomma]

saw a bunch yesterday in some blackberries!

[Magnum]

I've seen a lot this year on my 3 apple trees when it was blooming. I have more apples this year on my trees than any other year yet.

[bassettmama]

Yeah, we have butterfly plants that attract them in the droves, king of nice to see. I leave them alone, they leave me alone

[CATCH AND EAT]

Not very many this year in my area. Lots of hornets, wasps though.


Last year they were complaining about a lack of birds. This year I have taken special notice that there are a ton of birds around.

[retaliate]

Haven't been paying attention, my Cherry Trees are so heavy with Cheeries the branches are bending down, so there must be/have been some around.

[S.F. Bay]

Originally Posted by steelheader4ever

I have been searching the internet for info and have found some that talk about CCD (Coloney Collsape Disorder) and other diseses and got to thinking if I had seen a bee this spring at all and have to say no. One article said that the bee industry had lossed 33% in bee loss but just standing outside for a 10 minutes I became much more alarmed when I saw none flying in the evening sun.
Is there anyone with any useful info that I might have missed?

Now that you mention it, I saw some in San Francisco

[Don't fish e nuff]

I have a hive about 100 yards from my house in an old shack. It seems to be doing well.

[Jennie@ifish]

We have a neighbor who keeps honey bees, and usually we have tons. (Probably theirs) but this year, not???

[sandy77]

I was surprised to see this thread. Just two days ago I saw ONE on my lavender and it occurred to me then how absent they are...

I would totally give up my cell phone if it turns out that was the cause. We DID survive before them!

[Pete]

I've got lots of clover in my lawn. There always seem to be honey bees on it. I also have quite a few around my raspberries most of the time.

[TTFishon]

I have plenty of honey bees in my yard.

[Freighter Bait]

Very few at our house. Fruit trees were full of bloom, and very little fruit set. Had a swarm hanging in a tree at a site in Ridgefield, called WSU Extension who gave #'s for beekeepers. Hopefully did us both a favor

[Smoked Salmon]

My uncle now has two separate swarms living on his property. Of course, no cell towers within miles.

[huntercgr]

Last year was pretty rare for us as they were all over. They aren't too abundant around here. This year, I don't think I've seen one.