Missing Bees, the Stuff of Nightmares

by Rosie Newman
(sydney, nsw, Australia)

Missing bees and no bees would be what we could symbolize as a living “NIGHTMARE” maybe even worse as I can not even begin to imagine the thought of having no bees on our planet.

I believe it would be a good idea for bees to retire for a day or maybe a week like in the movie “The Bee Movie”

I know I probably get carried away in a fantasy world like Disney however, whatever you call it, it would be great if we could talk to bees to arrange a strike for a day, maybe a week to let people understand how much bees do for us and our economy.

However much we talk about the bees stating how they are important to our lives it's not enough to help some people with this understanding, it will only happen if they really did all disappear, this is when it will really hit home.

By sitting down writing this I was wondering if I were a bee flying around collecting nectar from plants, it would be very tiring and hard work collecting it all, without any pay.

Does a bee get stressed and tired? especially the workers it's no wonder they only live around 6 weeks!

To me bees definitely do not get what they work for! They should be awarded with a symbol on a countries coat of arms or something!

~ ~ ~ ~ Jan's Reply ~ ~ ~ ~

I really do understand your frustration and tend on the whole to agree with you. The Bee Movie did help to raise peoples awareness although some of their facts were wrong such as the drones (male bees) doing all the work and not the workers who are of course female!

The consequences of missing bees are being taken very seriously by many people especially scientists and researchers who are working round the clock to understand and rectify the causes of Colony Collapse Disorder.

It must be taken more seriously by companies such as Bayer who produce mass production of pesticides, especially neonictinoids which appear to hold the key to the answer.

Nature should be left alone as much as possible and it is up to us to lobby our own parliments and governments, we should pester them as much as possible to let them know how strongly we feel. United People Power can be used effectively and hopefully it will.

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Helpful Tip for Beekeepers
Cell phone EMF Messing with Bees submitted by Eli.

If you have a beehive and would like to shield it from electromagnetic radiation, simply wrap it with foil.

For added protection stake a wire into the ground and connect it to your foil lining.

A large galvanized or stainless steel nail or screw hammered into the ground would do the trick. Other metals would do fine but might rust sooner. Copper and iron tend to corrode. You'd have to replace them eventually if they do.

Instead of foil, you could use a fine-mesh metal screen or some sheet metal if you so choose. I just say foil because you 'prolly already have some in your house.

Make sure it's secured so the wind doesn't blow it off, say with some weatherproof caulking or other weatherproof glue.

I would probably look for something like 100% Silicone. If it says "safe for food contact" or it's made for sealing aquariums, that's cool. I'd think it to have less of the industrial solvents in there that might interfere with a bee.

If you use a metal that is prone to rust, be sure to paint it where it's exposed, but make sure the metal on the lid can touch the side without any paint in the way. Leave that bare so it makes contact.

Be sure to leave enough space for the bees to get in and out, and be certain to leave enough space for ventilation. Air is good. We don't want to suffocate them in there. They can regulate the temperature if you let them.

Bees can always fill in gaps if they need to, but they can't make the air gaps any bigger if you don't make them big enough to begin with. This is especially true in the winter time, as moisture can freeze in there.

The idea of the foil wrap is that the electromagnetic radiation will stay outside of your box, especially if you connect this to the ground.

Jan's Reply

Eli, thank you for this very valuable tip. I'm sure this will be both useful and helpful to those interested in the art of beekeeping.

Warm Regards
Jan