Is this a fact?

[GRIMBEE]

A show on the weather channel said that biological beekeepers don't experience colony collapse disorder, Is this true?
Have any of you that keep bees naturally had problems? and if so explain.

[naturebee]

I’ve never had any problems that can be associated to CCD.

Joe
Feralbeeproject.com

[Jim Fischer]

That claim was debunked well over a year ago.
Organic beekeepers were among those to be the first
to see the symptoms of CCD, and report them.

"Pesticides can’t be an explanation for why organic beekeepers
are losing their colonies," [Dr. May] Berenbaum says."

"The Case of The Empty Hives" Science May 2007
http://www.bvs-inc.us/News%20Items/The%20case%20of%20the%20Empty%20Hives%20Science%20 2007.pdf


More facts can be found here:
http://bee-quick.com/reprints

[Michael Bush]

>A show on the weather channel said that biological beekeepers don't experience colony collapse disorder, Is this true?

You'd have to define "biological beekeepers" and then you'd have to interview all of the people who would fit that definition to find the answer to that question.

>Have any of you that keep bees naturally had problems? and if so explain.

I have not. But then no one else in the state has reported CCD either and many of them are NOT "biological beekeepers".

It would be difficult to prove the statement true. Proving it false would be simpler. You just have to find someone with CCD who meets your criteria.

[deknow]

...the source for this is likely an often cited email that became news. sharon (who wrote the original email) sent this around (claiming that no one on the organic list had reported ccd....without bothering to post a question to the list asking if anyone had).

the unsubstantiated email was picked up by the "media" as news, and repeated over and over and over as fact.

any media source that would cite this as "fact" is by definition, too lazy to do their own reporting, or even the slightest bit of research.

deknow

[buckbee]

any media source that would cite this as "fact" is by definition, too lazy to do their own reporting, or even the slightest bit of research.


In other words, a journalist :rolleyes:

What results came back from the list when the question was asked?

[Hobie]

"Pesticides can’t be an explanation for why organic beekeepers
are losing their colonies," [Dr. May] Berenbaum says."[/URL]

Unless one can control where one's bees forage, I would guess that for this to be true, the organic beekeeper must own enough land and have the bees strategically placed to ensure that the bees' forage area is not affected by others spraying pesticides, including drift. Assuming a 3 mile forage radius, this would be a minimum of 18,000 acres, with the bee yard in the center.

And Karl von Frisch documented bees foraging up to 12 km (7.4 mi). Draw your own conclusions about anyone's bees being unaffected by other people.

[deknow]

fwiw, the bees that dee lost last fall (officially due to ccd, the lab tests have apparently not been run on the samples) are the bees she has that are in flying range of some other bees...you do the math.

deknow

[kirk-o]

I think all the chat about CCD is very interesting.I myself haven't had any trouble with it that I know of.I have had trouble with little black ants.I finally figured out what to do about them.After reading some stuff by Charles Martin Simmon I just feed them I have four or five bottles of sugar water around each hive and if they get to bad I put a circle of cane sugar around the hive on the ground.When I started not treating and went to small cell beekeeping for me improved Less losses.Since 2000 I have lost 6 hives to Ants ! hive disappeared or absconded in January which was odd.I myself realized that the media the experts were to busy to benefit me so I had to work out what worked for me.I use small cell and natural cell if I feed I feed pollen and cane sugar no beet sugar to much Roundup
in the beets.I don't move my bees.I started catching swarms.So I have a supply of bees.I started promoteing bees and finding more places for bees in the city.I have people tell me small cell is bunk this study that study you know I don't care.I just do what works for me.I got some of these Ideas from Dee Lusby and Michael Bush.Can I prove it works know I can't Why I don't want to waste my time.What is Truth what works for you.Mites are in the enviroment and they ain't leaveing either.Oh one other thing I don't use contaminated wax I save my own now and make my own foundation strips.I also promote honey from bees that have not been treated.No chemicals in the hive.The people I sell honey to I ask them to ask there store to post at the honey display if the honey comes frome bees exposed to chemicals put in the hive.I guess I'm a Radical guy.But find out what works for you.If you wait for the experts or the goverment It might be to late.
kirk-o