100 Million year old bee embedded in amber was found in an Amber mine in the Hukawng Valley of Northern Burma
A Little Background...
Prior to setting out on our research adventure and purchasing our first hive in the spring of 2010, we did what most novices would do...
we asked the experts.
Five separate Commercial Apiaries assured us, that no hive could survive in our area without Chemical treatment for the Varroa Mite. We are happy to report, late fall of 2023, our hives are going strong.
Ours is not the first experiment with chemical free bee hives, and ours are not the first to survive. Independent Bee Keepers across the country are involved with us with mixed results.
In order to prove our findings, trials must be conducted in different areas across the country, and certain parameters must be maintained, as is true for any legitimate research project.
We are currently seeking grant funding to continue honey bee research, which may prove to be most crucial to maintaining the integrity of agriculture in the United States.
Prior to setting out on our research adventure and purchasing our first hive in the spring of 2010, we did what most novices would do...
we asked the experts.
Five separate Commercial Apiaries assured us, that no hive could survive in our area without Chemical treatment for the Varroa Mite. We are happy to report, late fall of 2023, our hives are going strong.
Ours is not the first experiment with chemical free bee hives, and ours are not the first to survive. Independent Bee Keepers across the country are involved with us with mixed results.
In order to prove our findings, trials must be conducted in different areas across the country, and certain parameters must be maintained, as is true for any legitimate research project.
We are currently seeking grant funding to continue honey bee research, which may prove to be most crucial to maintaining the integrity of agriculture in the United States.
The following brief summary is written in laymans terms, since it is the general public to whom we make our appeal.
Honey Bee Solutions
The Solution to the Honey Bee dilemma is quite simple, really. What is difficult, is initiating the plan.
For over a century, commercial beekeeping practices have changed very little. But after all, if it works, why fix it?
The problem is, it no longer works.
Bees, being the resourceful and resilient insects they are, have survived the less than ideal environments that humans have created for them in the Commercial Apiary (Bee Yard). Exposure to full sun, crowded living conditions, honey cropping, and constant trafficking in and out of the hive by Beekeepers are at the top of the offence list. In the last 15 years, the cosmetic industry has also taken its toll on Bee resources, demanding more honey, wax, propolis, and royal jelly than ever before in history.
These stressors, coupled with the recent introduction of Varroa Mite into the US, has proved to be the proverbial “last straw” for the Honey Bee. All of the plagues apiaries currently combat, (sudden hive death, colony collapse, foul brood, and others) followed the invasion of the Varroa Mite.
Recommendations to improve survival rate in a commercial setting:
1. Hives need to be separated by at least 200 feet, or one hive per acre. Why? There are many reasons actually, but the most prominent, is prevention of the spread of disease, fungus, and predatory insects from one hive to another. (You can’t rid your house of roaches, if they keep walking over from the house next door.) Large clusters of any prey species, attract predators. In nature, Honey bees do not choose to live in close proximity to one another, even if resources are abundant.
2. Hives need to have southern exposure for winter heat and deciduous trees providing summer shade. Observing hives in the wild is a clear indicator that bees prefer these conditions in Southern Climates. Overheating in the hive causes eggs to be less viable. A portion of the workforce must be set aside to keep the hive cool and the life of a worker bee is considerably shortened by continuous fanning and water carrying to cool the hive. It is also worth noting, that over-worked bees consume more resources.
3. Discontinue all chemical treatment of Varroa mite in hives. Bees have the ability to genetically alter themselves through queen building (Supersedure) and selection, as needed, to cope with all manner of environmental problems, from pesticides to predators. Our rush to intercede on their behalf with chemical treatments has exacerbated the bees decline, while strengthening the predator mite with each new chemically resistant generation. For 100 million years, bees have been adapting and evolving in order to survive.
4. Reduce the honey cropping per hive by one half for two years, and by one third permanently. Why Now? Because Honey Bees under stress consume more resources. For years, beekeepers have known just how much honey to leave in the hives to feed their bees through the winter. Many beekeepers will not admit that their hives are simply starving to death, and pass the loss off as hive collapse or some other mysterious ailment. Fortunately, we have access to numerous commercial apiaries that are more interested in solving the problem of Colony loss than they are preserving their reputations.
5. We have planted Spanish Lavender and common Spearmint in front of our hives to discourage mites, beetles and any other insects that would make the beehive their home. This simple addition could be the key to combating Varroa, or it may just make us feel better. The truth is, we have not set up a hive without it, and are not willing to potentially sacrifice a hive to find out if they can survive in it's absence. Our hives also include reusable beetle traps filled with mineral oil.
Simple, Yes? Not Really
Honey production is a multi-billion dollar industry. To initiate step 1. and separate Hives to a reasonable distance, would drive most commercial apiaries into bankruptcy. Commercial farms and Orchards could easily implement these steps, but most do not keep their pollinators (Bees) on-site. Why? Aerial or mass spraying of pesticides. Many large farms bring bees in from an outside Apiary for pollination and then the bees are removed back to the Apiary.
For this reason, the solutions to Bee deaths have focused on chemical treatments and deliberate genetic alterations that would accommodate the current commercial environment. These are quick fixes with long-term negative residual effects.
It is left to the individual, private beekeeper to initiate these practices, so that there will be Honey Bees in our future.
It is worth mentioning, that removing pesticides from the Bees environment was not on our “to do” list. Why? It’s not feasible. Pesticides are here to stay, and almost every life form on our planet today, has been touched by pesticides. Fortunately, Bees and other useful insects have learned to cope with a certain amount in their environment. We have forced the evolution of many species (good and bad) to withstand pesticides, for their very survival.
Postlude:
Green Chapel Farms has conducted 7 year trials with hives in Watha, North Carolina. No naturally occurring elements were removed, (including pesticides) from the Bees environment.
While we respect the dedicated academic and scientific research on pollinator survival and preservation, investigating the diverse and ever-changing Apis Mellifera requires field trials with actual environmental and biological contingencies. Any and all research documents are available upon request.
About the Author
Joan Olsen Davis grew up on a tobacco farm in rural North Carolina in the 1960's. Her lifelong quest for natural sustainable solutions to environmental problems was strongly influenced by her parents, John H Olsen and Emma Turner Olsen, who were pioneers of the Naturalist movement. Emma Olsen hosted a health and nutrition morning show in the 1950's.
Ms Davis' professional career has included environmental engineering, eco-friendly sub-division design and construction, horticulture and a restaurant in Wilmington NC. Ms Davis currently owns and operates Green Chapel Farms in Watha, NC
The Olvis Foundation is a proud sponsor of Wild Things Grow at Green Chapel Farms. Green Chapel is the location of our ongoing Honey Bee and Soil Research projects. We are excited to announce Green Chapel Farms new designation as a certified wildlife preserve by the Wildlife Federation of America and certified wildlife sanctuary by Audubon International.