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This is the critical winter for the beekeeping industry. I don't think we can survive. As a beekeeper, this phrase has meaning that might be overlooked by some
by araneae 16y ago
This is the critical winter for the beekeeping industry. I don't think we can survive.
As a beekeeper, this phrase has meaning that might be overlooked by someone who is not one. It may seem obvious, but the most difficult time for bees is during winter; almost all hive deaths occur during the colder months. In a bad winter, some beekeepers will lose up to 75% of their hives. And hives only "reproduce" in summers when they're very strong. If this year is a bad one... they could literally not survive.
- Mz 16y agoIt sounded pretty ominous to me even before you chimed in. If agriculture was hurt badly from one year to the next by a sudden bee die-off, it could make concerns about Peak Oil and The Recession look pretty minor in comparison. Thanks for the info.
- delackner 16y agoIt sounds like you have some understanding of the way these hives are run. Aren't commercial "hives" stored in boxes with vertically slotted plates that the hive grows on? During winter why not just move the hives into a heated room with plenty of bee-friendly nutrients?
- araneae 16y agoI come at it from a non-commercial perspective; at most I've had two hives at a time. I was mostly speaking from personal experience of winter losses; it's really heartbreaking. Commercial hives are indeed relatively mobile, as they're temporarily stored on trucks to move from field to field. It's possible that it's simply untenable to keep bees indoors on a large scale. Hives that are too close together for long periods of time will attack and raid each other. There simply might not be enclosed spaces large or affordable enough to hold wintering bees. But someone who does commercial bee-keeping could probably give you a much better answer.