Peggi & Ben Rodgers wrote:

>Judy & Hal, can you send them my way? We have no bees (seriously). The
>virus seems to have taken it's toll. I'm pollinating squash and tomatoes by
>hand.

Well, you may still have some native bees, if you and your neighbors don't
use too many pesticides, or use them improperly. Some natives such as
bumblebees are obvious, but there are also small solitary bees that you
might not notice unless you're looking for them. My red currants are
pollinated almost exclusively by wild bees, because the honey bees just
aren't interested. Last summer I counted at least 5 wild species buzzing
around my yard, and I'm sure I missed a bunch. (Still haven't learned how
to identify them.) I've seen some reports that in some areas the reduction
in honey-bee populations has actually helped out some native bees which
couldn't compete as well for pollen and nectar.

Though the mites are a bad thing, pesticide misuse is sometimes much worse.
It kills the wild bees along with the tame ones, and there is nothing a bee
keeper can do about it. Some agricultural pesticide applicators
(including some state agencies spraying for fruit flies or mosquitos :-()
don't bother to follow the law about not spraying when bees are foraging,
and many homeowners don't either (most probably don't even read the
labels). It's a federal violation to use a pesticide in such a way that it
kills bees, because 30-50% of our human food supply depends on them. So if
you have neighbors who look like they're spraying or powdering things in
bloom, gently find out what they're up to, and try a bit of education.
Someone sprinkling a little Sevin powder on their flowers or veggies in
bloom can easily kill off an entire hive, because the bees carry it back
with them.


Allyn Weaks
allyn at cornetto.chem.washington.edu aka allyn at u.washington.edu
Pacific Northwest Native Wildlife Gardening:
http://chemwww.chem.washington.edu/natives/