West Davis Honey

I didn't have luck catching any swarms last season but this swarm found me. It set up house in an abandoned bee box last summer and managed to survive the mild winter. I didn't disturb it until now and was pleased with what I found... The hive is doing fantastic! They are calm and sympathetic, free of varroa mites, and well organized without my help. They seemed exceptionally healthy and happy. And maybe that should be expected. It is the best time of the year for bees, after all. They are hitting the orange blossoms and bee balm in the yard with great numbers and obvious delight. The temperatures are pleasant and the air quality is superb. If you're out on a social distance walk and see some bees, say hi. I'm sure they'll pay no attention whatsoever but you'll probably notice something. They are busy doing what they do and that is great to see.

Hives going well

In this hot weather, the colony spills out in a massive beard

Neonic pesticides are prominently displayed and readily sold at Ace Hardware in town (e.g., Bayer Rose & Flower Care). I doubt people know that they are killing off the pollinators in their neighborhood by using these products... but they are. :-(

Large-scale study 'shows neonic pesticides harm bees' - BBC News The largest study to-date on neonicotinoid pesticides concludes they harm honeybees and wild bees.

Alleged bee thieves nabbed in Sacramento area, charged with 9 felony counts!

www.morningagclips.com

A beautiful and informative video. Varroa mites are so persistent, pervasive, and harmful. It would be so great to finally have a good way to deal with them. Let's hope this cool new technology will fulfill its promise!

Can Mushrooms Save the Honey Bee? | bioGraphic A blood-sucking mite is wreaking havoc on honey bees—but scientists have discovered a surprising new way to fight back. Produced by Louie Schwartzberg Full s...

Tending bees includes protecting every colony against pests and diseases in an attentive, safe, and responsible way. Not doing so not only harms the bees and increases the chance of colony failure, but also exposes surrounding bees to higher risk. The vaccination analogy is a good one...

‘Treatment-free’ Beekeepers Give Varroa Mite Free Rein Infestations rarer among professional beekeepers Hobby beekeeping is very common. A European Bee Health Report found that in many countries, the majority of beekeepers pursue the activity as a hobb…

Free of pesticides, bees thrive. Please choose organic!

Organic honey is a sweet success for Cuba as other bee populations suffer When the Caribbean state was no longer able to afford pesticides – which have been linked with declining bee populations – it made a virtue out of a necessity

Thanks for a great talk, Marla Spivak

Marla Spivak: Why bees are disappearing Honeybees have thrived for 50 million years, each colony 40 to 50,000 individuals coordinated in amazing harmony. So why, seven years ago, did colonies start...

It is a serious problem, not just for honey bees but all insect pollinators.

Pesticides Killing Bees: Study Shows What 'Everybody's Suspected' Expert Scott Black explains why bees are the canaries in the ecological coal mine

This is a great campaign. Sad to see these bee-killing pesticides used in town, in neighborhood gardens. I hope Ace will listen! Go ahead, add your voice! Thanks!

Sign the petition: Help take bee-killing pesticides off of shelves! Bees are in critical danger. We need Ace and True Value to take action on deadly pesticides: http://bit.ly/1I9d48G