SWARMS
It's a bee colony's reproductive behavior. Can you and should you stop it in your apiary? How to catch swarms, and more.
PREDATORS
Yes, bees have predators! Learn how to identify them and prepare your colonies for possible threats.
PREDATORS
Yes, bees have predators! Learn how to identify them and prepare your colonies for possible threats.
SOCIAL MEDIA
A great way to get information, both good and bad, from fellow hobby beekeepers.
SOCIAL MEDIA
A great way to get information, both good and bad, from fellow hobby beekeepers.
SOCIAL MEDIA
A great way to get information, both good and bad, from fellow hobby beekeepers.
WAX & OTHER HIVE PRODUCTS
Wax, propolis, pollin, bee venim for lip balm, tinctures, soap and more. It's not just about the honey!
PREDATORS
Yes, bees have predators! Learn how to identify them and prepare your colonies for possible threats.
SOCIAL MEDIA
A great way to get information, both good and bad, from fellow hobby beekeepers.
SOCIAL MEDIA
A great way to get information, both good and bad, from fellow hobby beekeepers.
PREDATORS
Yes, bees have predators! Learn how to identify them and prepare your colonies for possible threats.
PREDATORS
Yes, bees have predators! Learn how to identify them and prepare your colonies for possible threats.
PREDATORS
Yes, bees have predators! Learn how to identify them and prepare your colonies for possible threats.
PREDATORS
Yes, bees have predators! Learn how to identify them and prepare your colonies for possible threats.
SOCIAL MEDIA
A great way to get information, both good and bad, from fellow hobby beekeepers.
SOCIAL MEDIA
A great way to get information, both good and bad, from fellow hobby beekeepers.
SOCIAL MEDIA
A great way to get information, both good and bad, from fellow hobby beekeepers.
CCD-COLONY COLLAPSE DISORDER
Books have been written, scientists have studied, but have we really figured it out yet?
According to the U.S. EPA, "Colony Collapse Disorder is the phenomenon that occurs when the majority of worker bees in a colony disappear and leave behind a queen, plenty of food and a few nurse bees to care for the remaining immature bees and the queen. Once thought to pose a major long term threat to bees, reported cases of CCD have declined substantially over the last five years."
That said, the annual hive colony losses still range from about 28% - 45% depending on region and reporting sources. A high percentage of these losses can be attributed to Varroa mites which weaken colonies, making them more susceptible to diseases, predation and other problems.
Rather than trying to answer every question here, we are going to post links to some of the best material on the subject of Colony Collapse.
EPA https://www.epa.gov/pollinator-protection/colony-collapse-disorder
USDA https://www.ars.usda.gov/oc/br/ccd/index/
WIKIPEDIA https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_collapse_disorder
NATIONAL PESTICIDE INFORMATION CENTER http://npic.orst.edu/envir/ccd.html
PLANET BEE FOUNDATION https://www.planetbee.org/why-bees-are-dying
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/agriculture/colony-collapse-disorder/
SUCCESSFUL FARMING https://www.agriculture.com/news/livestock/colony-collapse-toll-is-highest-in-four-years-for-us-honeybees
BEE CULTURE MAGAZINE https://www.beeculture.com/the-legacy-of-ccd/