Here's another request to save the bees and ask the EPA to ban clothianidin. I've received numerous e.mails with the similar request. It's an issue that's tied to the Wiki Leaks story and how our government often does not listen to the experts who have done the research and testified one way or another.
According to the article linked above,"Clothianidin is a neonicotinoid insecticide that is both persistent and systemic. Acute toxicity studies to honey bees show that clothianidin is highly toxic on both a contact and an oral basis. Although EFED does not conduct RQ based risk assessments on non-target insects, information from standard tests and field studies, as well as incident reports involving other neonicotinoids insecticides (e.g., imidacloprid) suggest the potential for long-term toxic risk to honey bees and other beneficial insects.
Neonicotinoids have come up before in a previous post and are banned in Italy because of the harmful impact they have on honeybees. The effort to ban clothianidin has gone viral. Saving the bees maybe trendy but we gotta do something.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
First of the Year! pt 2
Sorry for the short notice but wanted to get this out there; KBee will be hosting a public informational meeting today, January 22, 2011 at KCC in the Electronics and Technology Building. The meeting will start at 4:00pm and conclude at 5:30pm.
We'll be meeting w/some of our Kaua'i state legislators to discuss issues related to beekeeping (imagine that!) on Kaua'i and around the state. This was scheduled for our December meeting but with the holidaze and all.....
Here's a cut and paste agenda from an e.mail generated by Amy Luke of Rep. Tokokia's office. A big mahalo to Rep Tokioka and his staff for helping Kaua'i beekeepers have a voice in the state legislature
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On another note and will post more about this later, a HUGE mahalo to Oliver Shagnasty for his generous donation of 6 hives( boxes and all!) to the KCC apiary program. KBee members were able to assist in the packaging and transporting of the colonies last week under the supervision of Francis Takahashi from KCC and Oliver himself. This donation will help to develop an apiary program at KCC to enhance beekeeping activities and support the related industries that benefit from honeybee management on Kaua'i.
We'll be meeting w/some of our Kaua'i state legislators to discuss issues related to beekeeping (imagine that!) on Kaua'i and around the state. This was scheduled for our December meeting but with the holidaze and all.....
Here's a cut and paste agenda from an e.mail generated by Amy Luke of Rep. Tokokia's office. A big mahalo to Rep Tokioka and his staff for helping Kaua'i beekeepers have a voice in the state legislature
********************************************************************************
Beekeeper Agenda
1/22/2011
KCC
4pm
1) 2010 HCR 203
Recognizing the efforts of the Kauai beekeepers association and other key stakeholders for their efforts to assist the department of agriculture with education and prevention of the Varroa Mite and other invasive species
Discuss potential influences in Dept. of Agriculture (DOA) and being proactive in Varroa Mite and Small Hive Beetle issue.
Working together (w/ cuts in funding and positions) on being proactive/relying on community for back up and support.
2) Pesticides- take a look back at pesticide legislation
2009 SB 463
Requires the DOA to publish an annual report on pesticide use in the State including investigations of health related complaints by the DOH; requires users of pesticides to report usage to the DOA; permits the DOA to impose a fee to recover costs.
3) Dept. of Agriculture regulations and restrictions- Interim rule in place from Big Island to Oahu on shipping has lapsed.
*Inspections are required for movements of goods and travel.
*Limited source of funding/limited inspectors
*What will it take for us to get there/ engaging- Ag side? Industry side? Fruits? Flowers?
*Look at a stakeholders list and tap into where the funds will support invasive species prevention.
*Harmful effects of unwanted pests << Grant in aid applications/ federal fund matching grants>>
4) University of Hawaii and their bee program - CTAHR or DOA –Support for a Queen rearing program-
5) Future Forward
Registration program-beekeepers registrations-Getting active on education
*********************************************************************************
On another note and will post more about this later, a HUGE mahalo to Oliver Shagnasty for his generous donation of 6 hives( boxes and all!) to the KCC apiary program. KBee members were able to assist in the packaging and transporting of the colonies last week under the supervision of Francis Takahashi from KCC and Oliver himself. This donation will help to develop an apiary program at KCC to enhance beekeeping activities and support the related industries that benefit from honeybee management on Kaua'i.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
First of the Year!
Been a while, but we survived the holidaze. I hope the bees did too; the rain was pretty heavy and steady. I had harvested some honey off my strongest hive but now am wondering if I might have robbed the colony of it's precious winter stores. It hasn't been the best of foraging weather lately so I am concerned about the overall health of that colony. The colony next to it I have even greater concerns for. It seems to have had a reduction of bees in and out of the box. The last two times out in the yard the amount of bees in and out has been less and less. I opened up the box to check the hive after first noticing the lack of activity around the entrance. There were plenty of bees in the top box.
I must explain; this colony of bees was recently brought to this property in July from an old hive that had swarmed and vacated and then was repopulated with a feral swarm afterward. It was a healthy colony with plenty of brood but the boxes were beat and the wax moth had completely decimated the bottom box and frames. I removed the good frames and burned the rest. It was quite a chore but I enjoyed the work and was hoping to salvage enough brood to relocate them closer to my property. Of the twenty frames in the original two boxes, I ended up with 8 full frames of comb and a little honey. I put another box of empty frames once they were placed in their new yard. They seemed to be transitioning well in their new home and had moved up into the upper deep box. I was ready to put a super on top when i noticed the decline of bees.
So now, after writing this post, I've got check on the bees and find out how they're doing. I have a suspicion that I transferred some wax moth and larvae when I salvaged the original frames and they have started to wreak havoc in the bottom box. We'll find out and keep you posted on the welfare of this colony. The other 3 hives seem to be doing fine except for the chalk brood that I mentioned in an earlier post. I'll spend some time soon opening up the boxes and taking notes of the overall condition of the hives. Hopefully the weather will provide some drier conditions to work the yard and let the bees forage on whatever flowers are in bloom.
Just like I am concerned about the health and welfare of the bees in my neighbor's yard I am concerned about the bees across the state and across the globe. I recently received several e.mails all touching on the issues of pesticides being sprayed in proximity of bees and their overall harmful effects on our environment. Primarily, it's clothianidin that is causing great concern for many recently. The fact that our government often has a role in this environmental calamity is quite sickening. From the feds to our own HDOA we are often harmed by their interventions or lack of that help to create crisis conditions all over the place.
And things may get worse before they get better. It looks like it's going to be wet again today.
I must explain; this colony of bees was recently brought to this property in July from an old hive that had swarmed and vacated and then was repopulated with a feral swarm afterward. It was a healthy colony with plenty of brood but the boxes were beat and the wax moth had completely decimated the bottom box and frames. I removed the good frames and burned the rest. It was quite a chore but I enjoyed the work and was hoping to salvage enough brood to relocate them closer to my property. Of the twenty frames in the original two boxes, I ended up with 8 full frames of comb and a little honey. I put another box of empty frames once they were placed in their new yard. They seemed to be transitioning well in their new home and had moved up into the upper deep box. I was ready to put a super on top when i noticed the decline of bees.
So now, after writing this post, I've got check on the bees and find out how they're doing. I have a suspicion that I transferred some wax moth and larvae when I salvaged the original frames and they have started to wreak havoc in the bottom box. We'll find out and keep you posted on the welfare of this colony. The other 3 hives seem to be doing fine except for the chalk brood that I mentioned in an earlier post. I'll spend some time soon opening up the boxes and taking notes of the overall condition of the hives. Hopefully the weather will provide some drier conditions to work the yard and let the bees forage on whatever flowers are in bloom.
Just like I am concerned about the health and welfare of the bees in my neighbor's yard I am concerned about the bees across the state and across the globe. I recently received several e.mails all touching on the issues of pesticides being sprayed in proximity of bees and their overall harmful effects on our environment. Primarily, it's clothianidin that is causing great concern for many recently. The fact that our government often has a role in this environmental calamity is quite sickening. From the feds to our own HDOA we are often harmed by their interventions or lack of that help to create crisis conditions all over the place.
And things may get worse before they get better. It looks like it's going to be wet again today.
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