Old-time beekeepers, now in their sixties and seventies, who practiced beekeeping in the late 70s and early 80s, sit around the table in amazement and despair and ask the question,“ What has happened to our bees? Once we used to obtain an average of 30 kg of honey annually per hive, and now only receive 10 to 14 kg per hive. Those swarms were strong and very aggressive, but not our swarms of today.” Throughout the country where beekeepers operate there are reports of the decline of bee populations. Gardeners report the lack of bees about their gardens when in previous years bees were always seen about the flowers, but not these days. Farmers lack bees just to pollinate their veg gardens and beekeepers have to replace 20 % of their swarms annually to maintain their numbers to perform their annual pollination contracts. Fruit, nut and seed producing farmers in America, Japan and other countries are having to hand- pollinate their trees to obtain crops and will we in this country also one day be faced with these problems? However despite the decline we are experiencing, we still have bees, therefore let ' s take care of them. The first question we ask is,“ How come we do not see those swarms of moths at night about the lights and those many butterflies during the day? Is there something in the polluted air that is killing these moths at night and our butterflies and bees during the day?” The second question,“ Do all insecticide sprays contain an ingredient that penetrates the systemic structure of plants?” Moths and butterflies lay eggs on plants, worms hatch, the larva feed on the plants, bees gather the poisoned pollen which they feed to their young, both results being, no more bees, moths and butterflies. Secondly while on the insecticide subject, is there an ingredient in the insecticide composition that the farmers
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spray that causes the bees to become disorientated and are not able to return to their hives? This is called Colony Collapse Disorder, or CCD. Of course the insecticide manufacturers deny this possibility and say CCD is due
BEEKEEPING
Factors & practices that weaken your hives
Another in our series of articles on apiculture by veteran beekeeper Peter Clark, chairman of the Eastern Highveld Beekeepers Association
Continued on page 15