Honey bees need your help to live

In 2009 the Secretary of Agriculture proclaimed the third Saturday of August to be National Honey Bee Awareness Day. It happened to be Aug. 21 this year.

Although the honey bee is experiencing a crisis of frightening magnitude, the National Honey Bee Awareness Day went by with not much national attention at all.

The bee population in the United States has declined substantially by about a third in the last few years; however, besides congressional hearings and increased funding for research, no real action has been taken to help the honey bee's survival.

When people talk or hear about honey bees, they think of honey. But honey has become almost a side product in today's beekeeping industry; the main event is pollination.

Commercial migratory beekeepers follow the bloom from citrus trees in Florida to almond trees in California, apple trees in Pennsylvania and blueberries in Maine. Some of the most valuable fruits, vegetables, nuts and field crops depend on insect pollination, particularly by honey bees.

To name a few, 100 percent of almonds, 90 percent of apples and cultivated blueberries, 48 percent of peaches and 29 percent of oranges rely on honeybees for proper pollination. Others, to a lesser percentage, include watermelons, pears, pumpkins, cucumbers, soybeans, cherries, raspberries, blackberries, cranberries and strawberries.

Honeybees are needed to produce one-third of our food supply, and the beekeeping industry represents a vital component of the U.S. agriculture worth about $15 billion.

Responsible for the dramatic loss of about 30 percent of the bee population in the U.S. are a variety of factors, best known in the public as "Colony Collapse Disorder." No specific cause or disease has yet been identified in this massive and sudden die-off; however, studies show severely weakened immune systems of the affected honey bees and a link to environmental factors like the adverse effects of pesticides and pollution.

It would be a good idea for lawmakers to look across borders for ideas. Trying to avert a catastrophe, the European Parliament approved the creation of bee "recovery zones" across the continent in 2008.

Intended to boost plummeting bee numbers, the measure had the support of an overwhelming majority of members when they voted on it in late 2008. The recovery zones will provide bees areas with a diversity of plants rich in nectar and pollen, as well as free of pesticides. The zones are based on a simple principle. They are just grassy lands left uncultivated and unfertilized, where flowers can grow freely.

Parts of Europe have banned a new generation of pesticides (neonicotinoids) with the active ingredients imidacloprid and clothianidin from agricultural use. Neonicotinoids are thought to be responsible for massive losses in the bee population there. These pesticides act on the central nervous system of insects; they are systemic and have very long halftimes.

Across the world, neonicotinoids can be found in a variety of commercial and household applications against soil, seed, timber and animal pests, as well as foliar treatment for crops including cereal, cotton, grain, legumes, potatoes, fruits, rice, turf and vegetables.

Having said all that, the question is what can you do as an individual gardener or a farmer?

* Only use pesticides when absolutely needed.

* Do not apply pesticides while flowers and crops are in bloom.

* Apply pesticide when bees are not flying, best after sunset just before dark.

* Do not contaminate water; bees require water to cool the hive and feed the brood.

* Use less toxic formulations: Not all insecticides have the same effects when prepared in different formulations. Read the label! Research and experience indicate that microencapsulated insecticides are much more toxic to honey bees than any formulation so far developed. Because of their size, these capsules are carried back to the bee-colony and there can remain poisonous for long periods.

* Dusts (like Sevin) are more hazardous than liquid formulations. Bees pick it up as if it were pollen and carry it into the hive.

* Emulsifiable concentrates are less hazardous than wettable powders.

If you can leave some portions of your property undisturbed, you will see an increase in pollinating insects including honey bees. When you go shopping for new plants in your garden center, look for those that have bees and other beneficial insects on them.

Last but not least, become a beekeeper! Beekeeping is a rewarding hobby. Besides getting better fruits and vegetables, you are able to harvest honey in its healthiest form, where it retains all of its beneficiary components.

Local honey, as a daily addition to your diet, has proven to aid against pollen allergies and improve your immune system.

There is virtually no limitation as to where you can place a couple of hives. In many cities like New York City or Paris, France, you can find beekeepers with their hives on top of buildings.

It is not hard to become a beekeeper; many local beekeeping associations offer beginner courses. In Aiken, contact the Clemson Extension office for more information.