[ExI] bees again

[spike]

One of our lurkers, Robert Kennedy, has a server which for some reason
persistently fights with the Exi-chat server.  We have never been able to
get those two ISPs to play nice together, which is why Robert never posts.
I forwarded his post below and added my comment at the top.




Spike's comment: Robert and Fred S., regarding the pesticide kill on 1
January 2013, I collected about 50 to 60 of what looked dead bees.  The
minimum temperature that day was about high 30s F.  I took them home to
attempt to dissect them, in search of tracheal mites.  As I was setting up
the microscope, I noticed a bee was flying around inside my house, then two.
I looked at the open Tupperware container with the bees, and noticed several
of them moving.  Eventually about 8 of them revived enough to fly about,
apparently unharmed.  I left the container open to see how many would
revive.  This observation counter-indicates a pesticide kill, and suggests
they were slain by exposure.  Otherwise the toxin would have kept the bees
dead: they wouldn't revive as they warmed in my house.

Also note that these bees were in a suburb, far from any hive or bee tree.
This suggests that the bees were lost and died of exposure, rather than
poisoned.

Read on please.

In the meantime, I consider the imidicloprid theory unproven but still
alive.  Don't make me follow you around at the grocery store: if I catch any
of you buying honey, I will brutally put your butt on moderation, until ye
repent!  

spike

-----Original Message-----
From: Robert G Kennedy III, PE [mailto:robot at ultimax.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, March 05, 2013 7:42 PM
To: spike66 at att.net
Subject: re: bees again

I won't bother replying to the list since it'll jsut get bounced.

A friend of mine here in _____, who is in my amateur astronomy club, a
research chemist, and also a serious beekeeper himself, looked over your
post. He responds:

***

Hello Robert,

"Spike's" honey bee observations are a mixed bag and most likely not  
quite as dire as he might believe.

The large number of dead bees in a rather small area suggests to me an  
insecticide kill. Just last summer, in Blount County, a beekeeper lost  
nearly 200 colonies of honey bees in just such an event. The ground  
near a colony, or a bee tree, will be absolutely covered with the  
carcasses of hundreds or even thousands of dead bees when such an  
event transpires.

The lack of honey bees in his area at this time of year can be easily  
explained. From early February through mid -to-late March, every  
strong bee hive in the state of California can be found in the  
Sacramento Valley - pollinating the almond crop. To successfully  
pollinate this crop (which represents 80% of the world's almond  
production) currently requires approximately 50-55% of honey bee  
colonies kept in the U.S.  A total of something like 1.4 million  
colonies are trucked into this region each January so as to pollinate  
this crop. The migratory beekeepers get their largest pollination  
contract of the year to ensure the success of this nut crop. They also  
realize their greatest payday per hive - something like $140 to $175  
per colony. There are several individual migratory operations that  
move upwards of 50,000 hives to pollinate this crop. Flatbed tractor  
trailers are packed with 400 colonies per load - and they move 1.4  
million hives to this crop in this manner.  I wonder what their fuel  
bill tallies?

Regards,

- Fred S.

-- 
Robert G Kennedy III, PE
www.ultimax.com