So, what’s really going on with the honeybees?
You either love bees or you hate bees. In the past, bees have been considered pests that no one gave a second thought to getting rid of, but that is no longer the case. Many people are still afraid of honeybees and consider them to be a nuisance, but we now know it’s important to have professionals handle any bee removal and to avoid extermination whenever necessary.
Dozens of our favorite food plants –such as apples, almonds and blueberries –depend on being pollinated by the honeybee, and bees make more than $15 billion of crop production in the United States possible. We rely on the honeybee so much that it’s difficult to imagine life without them, but we just may have to. Since 2006, beekeepers have noticed their colonies dying off at alarming rates. While it is expected some bees die off between seasons, beekeepers reported losing 44% of their colonies on average between April 2015 and April 2016. Researchers haven’t been able to identify a direct cause behind the honeybee decline, but it is believed they are experiencing a phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder. If you haven’t heard of CCD, below are facts that can help you get informed and save the bees.
What is it?
Colony Collapse Disorder occurs when the majority of worker bees abandon their colony and leave their queen behind with food and only a few nurse bees to care for remaining brood. Worker bees keep the hive alive. They care for the queen, produce honey and pollinate plants. So far it has only been known to impact European honeybees.
What causes it?
The cause(s) behind CCD is not fully recognized yet. Researchers believe it could be related to new parasites like the varroa mite, pesticide poisoning, changes to their habitats or stress.
How can I help?
Helping honeybees is easy enough for anyone to do. When starting a garden or adding to your existing garden, choose plants that bloom at different times of the year and reduce the use of pesticides whenever possible. In addition, make honeybee-friendly choices when dealing with bee removal. Call a professional pest company to relocate any colonies on your property and avoid using insecticide.
Honeybees are vital part of our food production, and their population is rapidly dwindling. Other bees can be taken care of by traditional methods, but honeybees need to be removed professionally to assure their safety.
Contact Apple Pest Control if you are in need of bee removal.
