Bumblebee enjoying phacelia flowers
“How are the bees?”
It’s an innocent, simple question I’m often asked while out and about, presumably about the handful of hives we take care of. If they’re lucky, they’ll get a quick “Doing fine, thanks,” or, “A little wet for their liking.” Less fortunate well-wishers will endure a 15-minute explanation of bee pathology and challenges bees on Bowen and around the world now face. As part of a co-promotion of the August 14 BowFEAST event, the Bowen Ag Alliance is putting one fix to honeybee woes literally in the hands of the human population.
Many Bowen Islanders will know that we suffered a complete wipe-out of honeybee colonies over the 2009/10 winter season. While we can’t rule out beekeeper inexperience as a contributing factor, our losses echo the recent cataclysmic die out experienced in other parts of the province and episodically around the world.
Given that bees are widely credited for pollinating a third of the food on our plates, reasonable follow up questions are “What’s happening to the bees?” and “What can we do to help them?”
Parasitic mites (which in turn carry viruses that weaken bee colonies) have become a relatively new but endemic problem worldwide. Add man-made pitfalls like pesticides, climate change and monoculture farming – imagine trying to get all your daily nutrient requirements from just one food source day in and out – and on a macro, international level we have a situation that makes simply being a bee a tougher proposition than it was 25 or 50 years ago.
Here on Bowen, yes we must contend with mites, but barring an unwelcome visit from a transient bear, chief worries for Bowen beekeepers include erratic weather and the relatively limited diversity of significant nectar sources. A green oasis Bowen may be, but the nectar and pollen rich flowers that help grow and sustain healthy hives are in shorter supply than you may realize. Without a more sizable agriculture base and with limits on gardening imposed by the abundant deer population, the major “nectar flow” on Bowen comes from blackberry blossom. When blackberry vines blossom during a drought period (as they did in 2009), the result is reduced nectar availability and ultimately weaker bee populations.
Enter the “Bee Offensive”, a multi-phase initiative aimed at increasing the diversity and volume of bee-friendly nectar sources on the island. To kick off the initiative, BAA and BowFEAST will be offering free packages of a flower seed mix that will make bees buzz with anticipation. The idea is simple: sow the seeds in a sunny spot that is currently lacking in the wildflower department. (While many of the seeds should overwinter in our mild marine conditions, you can also wait until early spring to sprinkle the flowers-in-waiting. Or hedge your bets and do a little of both). If you’re really keen, consider harvesting the seed from next years crop (if only our financial investments had the same astronomical rate of returns). It’s a small step but one that even non-gardeners can participate in.
Look for the BowFEAST / BAA bee forage packages at a Bowen retail outlet over the next couple weeks. Get them while supplies last!
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