Kitchen Garden Forum

Some good news anyway. I read in my paper yesterday, that the powers that be, have found out what is affecting the bee hives, and killing off thousands of bees. Apparently, it is a mite, quite common elsewhere in the world, that is easy to controll.

Dear Submariner, there will be a lot of happy bee keepers out there know then.

Fantastic news - we wouldn't do well without them. I'm even fonder of the fuzzy little fellows since some carder bumbles took up residence on part of my lottie.
Vivien

dare i enquire which paper published this gem?...
its been known for years what this mite was, many bee keepers will tell you that it was introduced to this country by the clever experts at DEFRA who imported some infected bees for some research or other.
the treatment involves treating the beehives with an insecticide which is supposed to kill the mite and not the bees. its effectiveness is evident by the devastation caused to the nations honey bee population.

Richard, Please don't shoot the mesenger! It was in the Daily Mail, mand not beeing a reader of the apiary news, thought it was new.

Is it varroa mite you're thinking of?
The news is more complicated. See this:

http://uk.reuters.com/article/environme ... geNumber=1

A little more reliable than the Daily Mail!

Hi Jenny,
I read the report the other day and gathered that it was something other than the varroa mite but had taken the paper to the recycling so couldn't check up
so thank you for supplying information.
Richard, once again you have started sniping. I feel that you owe Submariner an apology.
JB.

hi Jenny, yes it was the varroa mite which has devasated the uk honey bee population in the last deade or so.
thankyou for the reuters link, does anyone know of any evidence that this asian mite has travelled to the uk??.
submariner , my reply was not intended to be a pot at you, more a comment on the general standard of our newspapers.
jb, thankyou for sharing your feelings with us. as allways i will treat your opinions of what i said with the respect i feel they deserve .
regards richard

It seems to be only proven in a few countries in Europe, not the UK or the US. This article states that bees from the US haven't been tested yet, and that it is only the scientists opinion that it's the cause over there too.

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory ... /story.htm

it appears that all the press comment on this issue are based on one spanish team's recent findings, they have only tested some eastern and northern european bees, nothing from the uk. there does appear to be some debate as to whether this particular mite is the primary cause of widespread bee deaths or is appearing as a result of the bees being weakend by something else.
there is a lot of info on google from a wide range of sources.

My husband has just returned from Poland where he says the insect life is teeming and just how our insect life used to be when we were children. Also flower meadows and birds in abundance. Where is ours? Insecticides? Just look at the garden centre shelves full of bottles for killing things. When are we going to learn to live with the nature round us? As gardeners, who obviously notice wildlife more than the general populace, we ought to be leading the way. I know this isn't to do with bee mites, but it is associated.

I remember when I was a child that if you left a window open at night there would soon be plenty of moths in the room. Now I rarely see one trying to get in, despite my garden being fairly wildlife friendly. Where have they all gone?
I'm surprised to hear about Poland though as it got quite polluted in the Communist era.

Oh I get plenty of moths wandering in when the windows are open - too many things giving off bright light!

On the subject of bees I was given a jar of local Lincolnshire honey yesterday - delicious!
Taking some in my tea in the evening to help calm a fuddled Admin brain - and help against hey fever!


KGAdmin

Hi Jenny and Jane,
I could not live more rural and am surrounded with crops and the insect life is colossal. At night I cannot open a window without getting full of insects and moths. I have had to make screens for the small fanlights in the kitchen and my bedroom so that I can have ventilation at night. Well also have at least 5 Bumble Bee nests in the plot and there could well be more 'cos at present I am not visiting the whole plot.
There are very few chemicals available to home gardeners now Jane as most of them went out with the last Government Ban. One of the first thing to be affected with chemicals is Grass Hoppers and Field Crickets and these abound on my whole plot not just the home plot.
JB.

Yes I have tons of grasshoppers too. It must be the area I'm living in now. It's quite suburban with very few trees. I think bee numbers are down this year, though. Probably more the weather than anything else. Usually my hyssop is alive with bees but numbers are definitely lower than ever. When will I get to sit out on a warm, late afternoon with a glass of wine and watch the bees? This year, I hope!