Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
to dump sites to congregate for the big moves to manuka areas many hours
away. Then splitting them for increase and finally back to often inadequate and
damp winter sites (because of any lack of alternatives). Then the process starts
all over again. The stress in the colony must be enormous and our moves were
minor compared to the multiple shifts I have read about in America. Ally all
this to the arrival of a new and devastating mite that assists in the vectoring of
existing harmful viruses into stressed and debilitated colonies and I think most
humans would give up the ghost. The effect on bees must be catastrophic and
so it would seem. They are disappearing. So would I. Let's hope that science
can help sort it all out because I'm sure that in this particular case, evolution
needs a hand.
Bee eaters and other birds
There are many other pests that can make the beekeeper's life difficult, and these
include the bee eater, which I have knowledge of from Spain. These delightful-looking
birds (they are a little like kingfishers, to whom they are related) can have an amazing
effect on the habits of bees. During the day, my bees would fly at low level in a zig-
zag motion to try to protect themselves. The number of bees killed this way was not,
however, too significant, and I firmly believe the problem is overstated.
The destruction of bee-eater nests in earlier years, for example, backfired. This spread
the birds' range, forcing them to colonize new areas that previously had no problems.
Bee eaters can, however, have an effect on queen-rearing operations because they tend
to prey on larger bees. This could be a major problem when you are trying to mate your
queens.
Other birds, such as herons, may attack a beehive's woodwork in their efforts to
get at the bees, especially in the winter when there is little else around, but, again,
however great their effect on the individual beekeeper and apiary, their overall effect on
beekeeping as a whole, and on bee-kind generally, is small and limited in scope. In fact,
it is insignificant.
