One of the best ways to fix the use of dangerous pesticides is for food retailers to simply refuse products that are farmed using chlorpyrifos, neonicotinoids, glyphosate and other toxic pesticides we know are harmful to honey bees and other pollinators. While several large food retailers have already banned these pesticides, Aldi had not done…
If you a fan of Instagram, I have a new account you absolutely have to follow. Known simply as “B” on Instagram (@bee_nfluencer), this celebrity bee is creating quite the following as well as making its more than 146,000 followers aware of the plight of the honey bee. I have seen accounts like this for…
Chile used to be able to depend on its spring showers to help grow its plants, but a decade-long drought has made honey bees almost extinct in the area. In the process, export agricultural products are sharply declining, putting Chilean farmers in a very bad financial position. The government is trying to step in to…
One of the great mysteries in life is just how Mars’ environment would be suitable for human beings. We know we would probably have to live in a controlled environment, but how would that environment impact other life forms on our planet? Researchers tried to answer that question as it pertains to be honey bees…
There is a new solar project underway at Penn State University. The new 70-megawatt solar project will not only provide 25 percent of PSU’s electricity for the next two decades, but it will also provide a new home for local pollinators. In all, more than 150,000 solar panels will be installed over 50 acres, land…
Michael Thiele, a German native that now lives in California, is echoing sentiments by bee experts that hives are a major problem in the beekeeping industry. Thiele believes one of the contributors to the massive decline in the honey bee population is the domestication of honey bees, something he hopes more beekeepers will address by…
Over the last few months, the bee industry has been significantly shaken both here and abroad with what seemed to be a reversal in restrictions against the pesticide industry. Thankfully, at least in the UK, that trend is starting to be reversed. The European Parliament has now decided to block recent legislation that would have…
You often hear us talk about the plight of the honey bee, but wild bees are facing what many will tell you is an even bigger problem than the honey bee. There are estimates that if something does not dramatically change, more than 40 percent of the wild bee species could become extinct within the…
There may be a big break to fight off the rapid decline in honey bee populations we see every winter and it comes courtesy of an Argentinian startup company called Beeflow. The company has developed a supplement that can be fed to bees that is like chicken soup for humans. According to Beeflow, the supplement…
The way Robbie Bell, a local beekeeper in Florida, sees it, there are three major threats to bees right now. Bell if a full-time beekeeper, so he is forced to drive thousands of miles every year to keep his beekeeping business thriving. He has moved his hives off Highway 640 by a reclaimed phosphate mine…
Honey bees (and the Monarch butterfly) in Idaho officially have a place to go where they will be welcomed with open arms. Earlier this week, the city of Twin Falls, ID announced it is officially part of the Bee City USA and Monarch City USA (which protects the Monarch butterfly) programs to help protect our…
Something we have seen far too often is swarms or hives being destroyed simply because people have no idea what to do in these cases. Earlier this year, we reported on a swarm being killed off at a San Diego Padres game. Rather than call a local beekeeper to remove the swarm, an exterminator was…
By now, you are all very familiar with the plight of the honey bee. While most understand the perils of pesticides and weather, one of the less “touted” problems for the honey bee is the actual skill level of the beekeepers responsible for their overall well-being. While this may not technically be killing off the…
There is a new virus that is creating a bit of an uproar around the country. Eastern Equine Encephalitis, or EEE, is a rare disease, but something we are seeing more and more reported cases. While most cases are being reported in Gulf Coast states and the Northeast corridor, the mosquito-borne virus is starting to…
We all know how dangerous pesticides are to our honey bee friends and we also know how challenging this past winter has been to them. There is a third problem for the honey bee that does not seem to be going away anytime soon, and that is the Varroa mite. This, however, is something beekeepers…
The “green” world is about all repurposing, but this is taking it to an extreme, a very good extreme! Our little friend the honey bee has a new place to stay, at least in Sweden. McDonald’s throughout the country is using its billboard space to create a home for honey bees, in essence, creating honey…
Last month, the EPA was hit with a lawsuit by the Center for Food Safety the Center for Biological Diversity. The suits were filed in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals against the EPA and Andrew Wheeler. At the time, George Kimbrell, who is the Director of the Center for Food Safety, stated, “Trump’s EPA…
It never ceases to amaze us how ignorant big business can be when it comes to the honey bee. Earlier this year, the San Diego Padres used an exterminator to remove a bee swarm that showed up on the field prior to a game. Air India chose a similar tack when a swarm of bees…
In an effort to help honey bees and find pesticides that will not be harmful, Bee Vectoring Technologies has created a new approach to treating plants with a fungicide. The recently EPA-approved Vectorite, which is a Clonostachys Rosea CR-7 fungicide, is not only eco-friendly, it is also delivered to the plants by the bees themselves.…
Earlier this year, the United States Department of Agriculture announced it was pausing honey bee surveys for the remainder of the fiscal year due to budget cuts. Bee advocates went off the rails for several reasons, and protests were made as were appeals to local politicians to have these surveys resumed. With the start of…
We all know one of the biggest challenges honey bees face is the use of harmful chemicals in products they are exposed to. The Trump administration recently lifted bans on some chemicals and products known to be harmful to bees. As a way to counter these recent government gaffes, an environmental group called “No Bees,…
Bee Vectoring Technologies is probably a company you have never heard of before today. Trust me, you are not alone if that is the case. The Canadian-based company trades for less than $.25/share, but that may change rather quickly as news of this new pesticide gets out and if the project is successful, stockholders may…
Cape Coral, FL parents got quite a scare when they looked up into the trees at a local park. High above the area where their children were playing was a massive hive of honey bees. While panic definitely set in among some of them, cooler heads prevailed, and the city called on a local beekeeper…
We all know the plight of the honey bee by now, but what is encouraging about it is the fact we are seeing more and more involvement in local communities to help the honey bee get through its current ordeal. As part of that effort, various cities in North Carolina are working hard to complete…
We are often amazed at stories where people find a small hive in their home that had gone undetected for years. Stories like this, however, leave us all shaking our head as to how these bees were not discovered prior. A family on James Island, SC will have such a story to tell for the…
A local neighborhood in Spokane, WA is usually flush with bees, but something disturbing has been happening lately that has residents very concerned. The familiar buzz in the air is no longer there and rather than seeing bees flying all over Corbin Park, residents are instead finding dead honey bee carcasses littering the ground. While…
The man that became an instant legend in the eyes of many Red Sox fans in 1967, Jim Lonborg, has quite a secret. For many, many years, he has also been a beekeeper. This is not something Lonborg does for the money. Instead, he does it to keep himself busy, to get a bit of…
As we all know, the environment for honey bees these days seems to be more and more dangerous. Restrictions on harmful pesticides are being lifted and harsher winters are taking their toll. Additionally, honey bees are now dealing with other dangerous insects, such as the Varroa mite, which are threatening the very existence of the…
As far as most people are concerned, the bee’s main purpose on this planet is as a pollinator. While that role is extremely important, as it turns out, bees may have another very useful purpose. In fact, this new purpose could shed even more light on the plight of the honey bee so the government…
Some local adolescents are learning about honey bees first hand as part of the Bee Cause Project. A live colony located at the Combee Academy of Design and Engineering is teaching these youngsters about the vital importance of bees to our agriculture as well as bee behavior so they are not scared of bees when…
As you all know by now, hive losses for honey bee owners have been significant this year past year. With some areas of the world reporting as much as or more than 60 percent losses, red flags are being put up about the future problems this may cause. Now, Brazil beekeepers are alerting the entire…
Honey bees are amazing creatures and they are so much more than simply pollinators and honey producers. Considering their size, they are true wonders of nature and one of the more intelligent and fascinating creates on this planet. While you may think you know honey bees, I guarantee there are at least one or two…
We always look forward to National Honey Bee Day, but this year it really takes on some significance. With the rough winter, federal government cuts, and extreme losses to hives, the honey bee has never needed the exposure more than it does right now. In recent years, roughly 30 percent of our nation’s hives were…
Over the last year, some real progress has been made in understanding why we are seeing such a decline in the bee population. One of the more interesting studies recently done that has put a huge spotlight on the problem was conducted at James Cook University. In this study, researchers found the flowers honey bees…
In a rather eye-opening report, researchers found honey bees may be in danger from insecticides used on crops other than the crops they are actually pollinating. This is an area we have not yet really seen explored, but this study presents a significant challenge for crops where the honey bee and mealybug cross paths. What…
While other cities have to wait on private beekeepers, New York City police officers actually have a group of officers that also answer infestation calls. Be it a beehive in a tree or bees in the walls, these officers will show up and rescue the bees rather than exterminate them. So, who are these men…
In 2010, there was a report on CNN that linked cell phones to the deaths of honey bees. This report was widely laughed off by outsiders, but not so much by the bee industry. This was right about the time the industry started to experience larger losses every year, and beekeepers were looking for reasons.…
Over the past year, there has been a lot of talk in the media and on blogs like ours regarding the plight of the honey bee. With recent government cutbacks on bee surveys, the honey bee has made its way into the political realm. This has introduced the honey bee to an entirely different audience.…
Many people might say that if you found out you had a massive hive inside your walls, extermination would be warranted. Thankfully, Annette Wiley of Kilgore, TX was not even considering that as an option. Wiley has had a massive infestation of bees inside the walls of her home for years. She had contacted various…
As if honey bees are not having enough problems these days! On Sunday, a local Florida beekeeper noticed that something was amiss with his hives. Horace Bell, who is arguably one of the largest beekeepers in the United States, found millions of dead bees when he checked his hives. Additionally, many of the bees that…
