This spring I have noticed an almost total absence of bees. I've only seen two wasps and they were both sluggish and died soon after with no assistance.
I didn't think much of it until the strawberries bloomed. Usually those are crawling with big fat bumble bees, but this year they are strangely devoid of not just bees but any insects at all. True, we have been able to document a handful of buggers over the last few weeks, but come on! This is Iowa! We usually swarm in the buzzing life by now to the point most people would be begging to bathe in DDT..... (Not us, of course).
So what's the deal?
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That's really scary, with all the talk of Colony Collapse Disorder. What would we do without the bees????
ReplyDeleteIt is the same way here, and was last year, too. We are very concerned, and not sure what to do!
ReplyDeleteLB
There are some theories about pesticides helping to kill them off. We have bumble bees and yellow jackets out our way, though no honey bees spotted yet. I didn't see them until later in the season last year, though, as well. Unfortunately, unless something changes, we may be out pollinating things by hand before our kids grow up. It just shows that all the crazy "green" things people do really do have an incredibly important impact on everyone's life.
ReplyDeleteyou can attract the pollinating mason bees with a bee box (like a birdhouse, kind of). you can do a google search. it looks kind of like a bundle of drinking straws. there is still time for other things to get pollinated even if it is too late for the berries. sad, i know.
ReplyDeleteInteresting idea.....
ReplyDeletehaagen dazs launched a honey ice cream flavor today to bring awareness to the plight of the honey bee.
ReplyDeleteI hope you still get strawberries!
I had plenty of bees (and yellow jackets) last year and so far two yellow jackets and a normal spring showing of bees this year. Maybe they just like those of us who run scared into the house at the first sight of them! :D
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