|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
05/13/2007
Bee die-off troublesome to keepersSituation isn't a crisis here yet, but some are worried
Bill Hathaway places tags on jars of honey at his home in Leelanau County. Hathaway has been an apiarist, or beekeeper, since 1966. TRAVERSE CITY — Bill Hathaway pulled a wooden frame from one of a dozen beehives in a cherry orchard north of Suttons Bay. There weren't as many honeybees clinging to the frame as he expected, and the hive's lack of eggs was troubling. "This colony could be going into collapse,” Hathaway said. He opened another hive, but this time the frame was thick with healthy honeybees. "This is a good hive,” said Hathaway, owner of Great Lakes Bees north of Lake Leelanau in Leelanau County. "It's nowhere near colony collapse.” Hathaway has raised honeybees for more than 40 years, ever since a swarm invaded a corner of his old home in New Hampshire. Regarded as among the region's most knowledgeable beekeepers, Hathaway is as stumped as any other expert when it comes to explaining Colony Collapse Disorder, a mysterious malady that's wiped out an estimated 25 percent of the 2 million-plus commercial honeybee hives in the U.S. "One fella might have nailed it on the head when he said it's the 'Disappearing disappearing disease,' because it's here today and gone tomorrow,” Hathaway said. Northern Michigan fruit and vegetable crops should escape largely unscathed this year from the mysterious bee die-off that's been identified in at least 27 states, including Michigan. But local farmers, beekeepers and researchers are worried about the long-range impact of CCD. They're concerned it will further reduce a honeybee population critical to the country's agriculture chain. Already, challenges are mounting due to mite infestations and a long-term decline in the number of people raising honeybees. "The thing that really scares me about this is that we have no idea what this is,” said Nikki Rothwell, head of the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Station in Bingham Township. "We're all nervous. Hopefully, somebody will figure this out.” Even without a widespread CCD die-off locally, farmers and area beekeepers are starting to see a ripple effect. Beekeepers are having a hard time finding enough bees to fill their orders, while farmers are paying high prices for bee hives to pollinate their orchards. Leelanau County fruit grower Jim Bardenhagen buys about two dozen honeybee hives to pollinate his cherry and apple orchards and other fruits he grows. Area growers are finding enough honey bees for their pollination needs, he said, but bee shortages in other regions are starting to drive up prices. He's heard estimates that hives could cost anywhere from $50 to $80 this year, compared to $40 to $45 last spring. "It may cost another 50 percent more than it did last year,” he said. State agriculture officials said the CCD die-off hasn't been nearly as pronounced in Michigan as in Florida and in Pennsylvania, where beekeepers reporting CCD cased lost more than 70 percent of their hives. "I think Michigan is one of the best-off states,” said Mike Hansen, state apiarist with the Michigan Department of Agriculture. "The bees that are needed are available right now.” But Hansen said he's worried about the "cascading effect” of CCD in future years, where extensive honeybee die-offs could reduce honeybee availability both for beekeepers who raise them and farmers who need them to pollinate crops. "I think there's more concern for what 2008 will bring,” Hansen said. "Beekeepers are paying a lot more for packages of bees to rebuild their colonies.” Rothwell said a large majority of CCD die-offs are being found in migratory honeybees — colonies moved by operators to different areas around the country where they're needed by farmers and growers. Even if local beekeepers haven't seen their hives dwindle because of CCD, most know someone in the industry who has. Hathaway said he knew one beekeeper who went to Florida with 700 honeybee colonies and lost 500 in a massive die-off. "I've heard of other people having a complete loss,” Hathaway said. The honeybee die-off follows a long-term reduction in captive honey colonies in the U.S., which have dropped by more than half since the late 1940s. The bee die-offs combined with a dearth of young people going into the beekeeping business are making it tough on a livelihood that Hathaway's enjoyed for more than four decades. "Basically, it's not a good outlook,” he said. [an error occurred while processing this directive] |
