It is about time I talk some about honey bees. I've been wanting to have them for 2 years now. I see more and more the reason for people to get bee hives. Our natural honey bees are dying out FAST. For the past 6 years or so we have lost roughly a third of the bees, each winter. Due to CCD, colony collapse disorder. What is CCD? Well, it is not ONE thing. Researchers have found a common bacteria that is in each hive and are blaming it on that. But how did the bees get that bacteria? Well, most have been traced to herbicides, pesticides, other poisons, and now, GMO seeds.
Sometimes, I wonder about this world. Will it last until I pass out of it? Will it last another 500 years? Can mankind keep it going? Well, he doesn't. He is not ultimately in control, God is. However, Man was given the earth to control. And, though some people will disagree (mostly people who have not done enough research), the way we do agriculture, is not sustaining. Were the Incas a pretty sinful people, you bet! But why didn't they have problems with agriculture, why is it today that the bees are dying off, we are spreading poison everywhere and making super weeds and super bugs. We....Why?....
Honey bees, though most people think of them for there honey, are most important for pollination. Without honey bees the existents of most fruit would be eliminated. Almonds, are pollinated exclusively by honey bees. Bumble bees are better pollinators, but they don't live in collonies like honey bees. We are, without trying to, killing off the population of bees. Our extensive use of herbicides, pesticides, and the other poisons we spray on our plants, and now the use of GMO seeds. You know why GMO seeds? Well, they have bred a poison, pesticide, INTO the gene of the plant?! So now, instead of spraying the pesticide on the plants outer leaves etc., it is now in EVERY cell! Including pollen. And now studies have shown that, while it doesn't kill bees fast, it seems to suppres the immune system, and other things. Hmm.....sounds like all the stuff americans take, antibiodics, vaccines, I mean, don't you EVER wonder about it? Do you ever stop to think, why you put that stuff inside you? Do you know what ELSE it has? Well, thats for another time (to write on sometime).
We need to get the word out. That you CAN do substantial agriculture WITHOUT the use of poison. There is a BETTER way then to slowly kill us and everything around us. As much as ORGANIC company's (some, not all) do it partly for the name Organic so it sells better, and don't often regulate every rule as much as Organics think they should, they are on to something. The left is on to something that the right needs to see. Those wacko liberals who are rallying against GMO seeds, well thats a good thing. Though many conservative christians think other wise. But do they know what is behind GMO, do they know the harm they do? I doubt it.
I would encourage you to look into getting a hive this year, if you have the money, space (you don't need much), and a little time. Once you have them set up, it really doesn't take a whole lot of time. The first few months check on them every other week. After that you check on them once a month or so, and harvest once or twice during the year. I would encourage you to go as natural as you can with medications. I've seen some research on using essential oils as treatment. I've also seen where you don't give the bees really anything FOR it, you just try to feed them the best food etc. and let them take it. If you lose the hive due to it being sick, would it have been better for it to survive and be weak? I think here survival to the fittest makes for the toughest bees.
Thank you. Oh, and please do more research on the subject for yourselves. Here is where I got my most recent info on GMO seeds and honey bees. The other stuff is just what I've learned in past. http://obrag.org/?p=3353 That is the link.
English Vintner
