Hive beetles have taken Bee Hill from 13 booming colonies to 3.5 colonies (dwindling observation hive counts 1/2).

 

ARE WE DOOMED?

 

In the process, of trying to mitigate these demons, I’ve tracked them clear across town to Bee Line and have gone from 40 colonies to 20 colonies. This is happening at the worst possible time of year. We are in a dearth and starvation is a real battle. The only plus side is that less bees / pollen / nectar, less hive beetles. But, really that’s a LOAD OF COAL because less bees is not a good thing at all! I’ve finally started to make some inroads; but, I’m sure there are more absconds to take place. There is just not enough time or resources for one person to tackle everything but I’m not giving up and will be much better when all is said and done.. I hope.

LANTANAS ARE.. BANANAS!

 

They’re everywhere in Area 51. Listed as invasive, they’ve managed to grow into woody stemmed behemoths on site. Bees do not work them. However, butterflies and other pollinators do. Butterflies are like flying flowers and it looks really amazing in late spring when they are flying everywhere. Also, lantanas can get thorny and grow in the sandy-nutrient-lacking soil of Florida. So, I’m transplanting them where I can and hoping that they grow back into natural barriers where I need them. Bonus is that I found out the soil looks decent under the first few inches of dirt. Not as barren as I thought it’d be down there..

– Bee Good

Matt