3 ms·
Maybe it was due to the very cold winter?
by snovv_crash 5y ago
Maybe it was due to the very cold winter?
- Rochus 5y agoWell, I remember much harsher winters twenty years ago which apparently was no issue for the bees. And until some weeks ago I actually saw many bumblebee queens on the flowers, but then by end of May the number suddenly decreased sharply. Must be another reason.
- qayxc 5y agoI found many dead bumblebees this year and many of them were infected with mites. It seems as if varroa mites have carried viruses from infected honey bees to wild bees and are killing a lot them.
- Rochus 5y agoIs this analyzed by science? Are there any publications on this?
- qayxc 5y agoYes there are: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31190366/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31190366/
- Rochus 5y agoThat's an interesting paper, thanks; here is the link to the freely accessible version: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6852581/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6852581/ But I'm not sure whether this is really the cause of my observation; everything looked normal in April and May, but suddenly by end of May the bumblebees vanished. I still see some from time to time (one or two a day, compared to dozens in normal years). I also found a few exhausted ones on the ground that could no longer fly, but there were no mites on those.
- tharkun__ 5y agoI'm in Canada, meaning really cold winters (caveat: which the species here would also jsut be more used to to be fair). I am seeing the same amount if bumble bees in my suburban yard, which I suppose is good. I don't see many honey bees or yellow jackets. In comparison to what I remember from Germany. I have been eating pie outside without issues for many years here. In Germany that's impossible without getting a yellow jacket or five attacking your pie. But we do get our honey from a local bee keeper and so far KO drying up if supplies. Fingers crossed.