THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 7, 1996 TAG: 9607090400
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBERT STIFFLER, GARDENING COLUMNIST
LENGTH: 175 lines
THE PROBLEM WITH bees is there aren't enough of them. Farmers are hard-hit by the lack of pollinators, and some home gardeners may have trouble this summer, too.
So what's a gardener to do?
For starters, ``Please don't kill the honeybees,'' says Calvin Sims, founder of the Tidewater Beekeepers Guild.
Virginia Tech bee specialist Richard Fell says the state has lost 50 percent of its honeybees in the last 20 years, following a trend that has affected most of the nation. North Carolina reports it has lost nearly 90 percent of its wild honeybee population in the past few years and about 30 percent of its domestic bee colonies so far this year.
``To save the bees, do not spray anything in bloom,'' Fell says.
Pesticides, however, are only part of the reason the bee population is declining. Two kinds of blood-sucking mites - the Varroa mite and the tracheal mite - also are killing off honeybees at an alarming rate. Both were first discovered in the United States in the mid-1980s.
Adding to the shortage, last winter's harsh weather wiped out many hives in colder parts of the state and nation.
In this area, developers and homeowners have gradually gotten rid of many big old hollow trees that provided homes for bees, Sims noted.
Art Halstead, a Chesapeake beekeeper who gives demonstrations at schools and garden centers, said, ``I gave a demonstration at Smithfield Gardens on June 9 and walked all through their perennial gardens without seeing a single honeybee. That shows how serious the problem is.''
Honeybees are essential for pollinating nearly all fruits, such as blueberries, strawberries, apples and melons, as well as vining vegetables, including cucumbers and squash.
To make a well-formed apple, a bee must visit an apple blossom eight times to fully pollinate it, Sims said.
All bees can pollinate blooms, but honeybees are best. Bumblebees pollinate, but when spring crops are in bloom, there are not enough bumblebees to get the job done. Fell said beetles and flies also pollinate plants, but most are not good pollen carriers.
``Without insect pollination, many plants and fruit trees will not produce fruit,'' said John Ambrose, an entomology professor and bee expert at North Carolina State University. ``They would have to be hand-pollinated, and that's simply not economically feasible.''
Even if the decline were halted immediately, it would take years to make up the loss, Ambrose noted. ``In the meantime, farmers may suffer losses from reduced yields, and consumers will have to pay more for their produce.''
The situation is so serious that many orchard operators have resorted to renting bee hives from beekeepers in this area to put in orchards while trees are in bloom. And the demand for hives is greater than the supply.
Nationally the number of commercial beekeepers has fallen from more than 31,000 in 1994 to just over 24,000 today, according to the American Beekeepers Association.
Sims said some beekeepers have gotten out of beekeeping because of the cost of the insurance required. More have been forced out by the mite problem, Fell said. ``But anyone can keep honeybees, and more people should do it,'' he added.
Local beekeepers report that the Virginia Department of Agriculture has called them offering to buy their bee hives and move them to the Eastern Shore for pollinating the valuable vegetable crops grown there.
Renting a bee colony can cost from about $20 to $45, making it an unaffordable option for many small growers and home gardeners.
The bee shortage may eventually drive up some food prices. Honey prices, stagnant for 20 years, have doubled in the past couple of years to about $1 a pound.
``But don't worry about a supply of honey,'' Sims said. ``There are millions of gallons of honey stored in caves in Mexico and Spain, so there'll be no honey shortage.''
Competition from imported produce has thus far kept produce prices from rising significantly, farmers and experts said.
There is not a lot the average person can do to reverse the trend. Deciding if or when to spray pesticides is one practice gardeners should consider.
Stan Nicolay, who has kept bees in Virginia Beach for many years, advised: ``Do no spraying except at night. Honeybees cannot navigate at night. Most of them are back in the hive at dusk, and then it's safe to spray.
``Our biggest culprits are the professional spray companies who spray on an automatic schedule in the daytime, whether or not it's needed.''
Some experts, including Virginia Tech's Fell, said to avoid all spraying when plants are in bloom. Homeowners who use professional lawn and garden services should tell them not to spray anything in bloom, Fell added.
There is a movement in some orchard-growing areas to prevent all spraying before dusk. This creates a problem for rose growers, because most roses require frequent sprayings, and the foliage should be dry before dusk.
While beekeepers, gardeners and farmers do what they can to pollinate crops with a declining bee population, researchers are looking for solutions.
Scientists at North Carolina State University have identified strains of honeybees that are more resistant to the tracheal mite and are trying to breed them. A chemical strip similar to the Shell No Pest Strip will control the Varroa mite, Fell said.
But, Ambrose said, it could take two or three years before the mites can be brought under control in domestic populations.
Meanwhile, if you find honeybees have made a home in your home - in the siding, attic or roof - call a professional beekeeper who will remove them for a fee. If the bees are swarming on a tree or bush, there usually is no charge for removal.
Whatever you do, do not spray them with an insecticide. ILLUSTRATION: Color photos
JIM WALKER/The Virginian-Pilot
RICHARD L. DUNSTON/The Virginian-Pilot
Art Halstead of the Tidewater Beekeepers Association tends one of
his hives in Chesapeake.
Graphics
WHAT YOU CAN DO
[For complete graphic, please see microfilm]
FACTS ABOUT BEE STINGS
Honeybees usually sting only if you slap at them or disturb their
hive, according to John Ambrose, professor of entomology and bee
expert at North Carolina State University.
The most notorious stinging insects are yellow jackets and
members of the wasp family, which can sting many times without
losing their stingers and dying. It's yellow jackets that swarm
around your hot dogs and soft drinks at a picnic.
If a honeybee does sting you, do not pull the stinger out by
grasping the venom sack, Ambrose cautions. Such action releases more
venom. Scrape the stinger out of the skin with a flat object such
as your fingernail or a knife blade. Use tweezers to grasp the
stinger below the venom sack.
Apply ice or cold water to ease the pain of a sting. Meat
tenderizer is one of the most useful home remedies, if applied
within a minute or two.
If you experience any of the following symptoms from a sting,
Ambrose advises going to an emergency room:
Hives, itching or rash.
Shortness of breath.
Swelling in the throat or respiratory passages.
It's normal for some swelling to occur. There is cause for
concern only if the swelling proceeds past a joint or if you get
stung in the throat, Ambrose says.
IF YOU SEE A SWARM
If a swarm of honeybees descends on your yard or house, call
either of the following:
Beekeepers Guild, 481-0706.
Bee & Wasp Eradicator of Tidewater, 429-3134; pager, 626-9244.
Both of these organizations also remove hornets, yellow jackets
and other non-friendly insects. Others may be listed in the Yellow
Pages.
If bees are in a floor or wall of a house, be sure to have them
removed. A honeybee colony can produce 40 pounds of honey, which
will seep through and stain the walls. Honey also may ferment and
cause a strange odor.
HAVE YOUR OWN HIVE OF BEES
Beekeepers encourage homeowners to keep a hive of bees. You'll
ensure pollination of your and your neighbors' fruits and
vegetables.
If interested, call any member of the Tidewater Beekeepers
Association and attend a meeting. Because of our proximity to
Washington, D.C., many nationally known speakers appear at its
meetings.
Members of the association will be happy to have you help them
for a day or two. Then you can decide if beekeeping is for you.
Here are some beekeepers to call:
Norfolk - Tim Swanson, 481-0706.
Chesapeake, Suffolk, Portsmouth - Art Halstead, 488-7617
Virginia Beach, London Bridge area - C.E. Harris, 340-8651.
Virginia Beach, Knotts Island area - Floyd L. Watkins, 429-3134.
Virginia Beach, Thoroughgood area - Stan Nicolay, 464-6087.
Within the city of Norfolk, you cannot keep honeybees unless you
live on at least five acres of property. Portsmouth, Chesapeake,
Virginia Beach and Suffolk have no restrictions.
KEYWORDS: BEES BEEKEEPING by CNB