"Scientists have discovered ways in which even low doses of widely used pesticides can harm bumblebees and honeybees, interfering with their homing abilities and making them lose their way.
Dave Goulson of Stirling University in Scotland, who led the British study, said some bumblebee species have declined hugely.
'In North America, several bumblebee species which used to be common have more or less disappeared from the entire continent,' while in Britain, three species have become extinct, he said in a statement.
The threat to bee populations also extends to Asia, South America and the Middle East, experts say."


Are bees threatened by insecticide use? New studies say yes.
By Kate Kelland, Reuters / March 29, 2012

"The unusually warm weather has many things blooming early and that is having a direct impact on pollination. Honey bees are not breeding fast enough to keep up with the growth of flowers and fruits."

Warm weather creates worries about bees
WZZM 13 ONLINE
Written by Chris Fleszar

Maybe the bees think that cars are causing Colony Collapse Disorder, and they're finally fighting back.

"A big buzz broke out in downtown Salinas Wednesday when hundreds of bees swarmed a woman's car while she went inside a bank...
The bees turned out to be honey bees, a non-aggressive species. Once gawkers in the parking lot realized this, several curious people put their hands on the swarm without being stung. 
Bordi arrived at 6 p.m. to collect the bees in a bucket so he could use them for pollinating crops.
While the swarm did not mind being gently touched by curious thrill-seekers, they were annoyed by the more aggressive beekeeper who slid them into a bucket. 
The bees became riled up and stung a KSBW producer who was shooting photos several times."

Hundreds of bees swarm Salinas woman's car
By Amy Larson

Supersedure in honey bees is the replacement of an old queen with a new queen, usually done because the old queen is failing in some regard.

"The colony that decides their queen is not up to the task at hand starts supersedure promptly. After starting supersedure cells the old queen is expendable. The colony is not going to let her interfere in the process. If the old queen insists on removing the competition, and balling her away from the supersedure cell in development does not provide adequate attitude adjustment, they are forced to terminate her. They would prefer to have her continue to lay until her daughter is mated and laying."

Are They Supersedure or Swarm Cells?
Bee Culture – July, 2005
by Walt Wright


"If in the Spring or early Summer or late Summer or Autumn you suddenly find between one and five evenly aged queen cells built on the face of the brood combs of this colony, you may very well have a very rare treasure, i.e. a supersedure strain. Should you subsequently examine your colony and find therein your old queen still laying while on an adjacent frame you find her daughter queen also laying, then you surely have a pearl of great price. For this is supersedure at its very best and this is a strain which is well worthy of future propagation."

LONG-LIVED SUPERSEDURE STRAINS,
written in 1997 by Micheál Mac Giolla Coda

"'Tell us your riddle,' they said. 'Let's hear it.' 
He replied, 'Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet.'
For three days they could not give the answer.  On the fourth day, they said to Samson's wife, 'Coax your husband into explaining the riddle for us, or we will burn you and your father's household to death. Did you invite us here to rob us?'  Then Samson's wife threw herself on him, sobbing, 'You hate me! You don't really love me. You've given my people a riddle, but you haven't told me the answer.' 
'I haven't even explained it to my father or mother,' he replied, 'so why should I explain it to you?' 
She cried the whole seven days of the feast. So on the seventh day he finally told her, because she continued to press him. She in turn explained the riddle to her people. 
Before sunset on the seventh day the men of the town said to him, 'What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?' Samson said to them, 'If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle.'"
                                                                                                                                                                                            Judges 14:13-18

Commentary and comparison of Samson with Christ.

The life of a bee, according to a bee.

    Fall is here, and the crops are quickly failing.  We've worked them to the last drop, and now it's time to close up for the winter and prepare for the cold.
    My duties as a field bee are temporarily suspended for the winter season.  My job now, in these few brief weeks before the snow arrives, is to seal up the hive and insulate it to keep the cold winds out during the long months ahead.
    Crops proved to be decent this year, and we have plenty of surplus honey.  Disease is low, and the last bunch of bees born before the winter layover seem to be healthy.  We should have a good winter.
    Today is unusually warm and clear for this time of year, an Indian summer if you will, or a summer-like day in the early fall, if you won't.  I'm just now on my way back to the hive.  I've been out stretching my wings and getting some fresh air.  Looking ahead, I see a tall, white creature approaching our hive.  I fly faster now as the creature, a honey thief, breaks into the hive through the roof.
    Darting through the entrance, my first concern is for the queen.  Where is she?  I call out, but all is confusion and chaos.  As I frantically search, the food storage story above me is ripped off and the whole hive is severally shaken.  Those are our winter stores; I must protect them!
    I dart at the honey thief in a vain attempt to force him to release the honey.  No luck, I can't find a way to get at his sensitive inner skin.  I attack his face, but it too is protected.
    Not to be thwarted, I search the inner folds of his throat region for an opening.  Honey thieves are known to be especially vulnerable in this area.  The air is thick with smoke now, and it's hard to stay oriented, but I burrow in deeper and deeper through the outer layers of skin.
    And then I see it, a small opening leading to the inner pink flesh.  I quickly call to the others to follow me in and then, knowing that I'm about to forfeit my life in defense of my colony, I plunge my stinger into the soft, hot flesh.
    Unbearable pain is my reward, as my guts are ripped from my body.  In my dying moments, I see other bees attacking this same spot, some from my colony and others from nearby colonies, and I know my sacrifice has paid off.  This honey thief will suffer for his actions.  My hive will be safe again.  Brandi will live to see another spring.   All... hail... the Queennnnnn.......

Who would have thought?  Pesticides are killing honey bees and causing Colony Collapse Disorder.  I've been saying it for the past three months, and the French have been saying it for years.  They noticed years ago that shortly after the introduction of a certain pesticide, honey bees died en masse.  So, showing a remarkable degree of common sense for the French, they banned the pesticide, urging the U.S. to do the same.
The U.S. refuses to do so because big money owns and operates the media, the scientists, and the government.  As a result, our population is blissfully unaware of the fact that pesticides are destroying their beloved honey bees.
Now, I'm all about the free market and severely curtailing the role of government in our lives, so I'm not going to attack the corn growers or the drug companies for their malicious use of dangerous chemicals.  I would warn them, however, and suggest that they start exploring alternative methods of pest control.  Relying 100% on pesticides is a risky proposition.  Some day soon, nature will outsmart the scientists, and every chemical  concoction they can contrive will fail to eliminate the pests.  When that day arrives, woe to us.  It will be worse than the Irish potato famine.  We will see people starving to death here in the U.S., and not just because of anorexia.  There will be a worldwide shortage of food.
But for now, it's just the honey bees that are suffering, and there's a lot more money in corn than in bees.

"What was killing all those honeybees in recent years?  New research shows a link between an increase in the death of bees and insecticides, specifically the chemicals used to coat corn seeds.
The study, titled 'Assessment of the Environmental Exposure of Honeybees to Particulate Matter Containing Neonicotinoid Insecticides Coming from Corn Coated Seeds,' was published in the American Chemical Society's Environmental Science & Technology journal, and provides insight into colony collapse disorder."

Honeybee Deaths Linked to Corn Insecticides
By Alexandra Ludka

So that's why...

Sexually frustrated fruit flies turn to booze
By Malcolm Ritter

*Warning!  The following material is B-rated and may not be suitable for larva and young pupa.*

    Today I went out to get some water to bring back to the hive.  It was a warm, sunny morning with bright blue skies and not a trace of a cloud.  On my way to the creek, I passed a large cat napping in the lush, green grass under the shade of a maple tree.  She looked so content, I could almost feel her purring as I flew by.
    The creek trickled through a slight depression in the woods.  A small rock along the far bank made for a nice landing spot,  so I stopped and collected a few drops of water to carry home.  Many bees from other hives in our community were also gathering water.  We exchanged some local gossip.
    "Has anyone heard about the swarm that was in the old oak tree?" I asked.
    An older bee on the other side of the rock answered me, "They all broke up a couple of weeks ago.  Couldn't find a decent place to escape the weather.  Some of the refugees came to our hive.  Said the old queen gave out and everyone split."
    "Ah, that's too bad."  Our old friends didn't make it then.  Not surprising really, though.  These days, it's hard to survive even under the best of conditions.  What with the viruses, bacteria, ant raiders, wax worms, honey thieves, and mites... Lord help us, the mites!  If you get 'em, you're through.  They'll eat you alive, from the inside out and the outside in.  Pretty soon you can't fly, then you can't walk.  Others will slowly suffocate you, you can't breathe.  Life is hard enough without all of these pests.
    I quenched my thirst and went into the field, searching for the perfect flower.  There were lots of possibilities to choose from, and I could have any one, within limits.  Some were old and raggedy, unappealing, while others were still too young to open up and allow me to taste the sweet nectar within.  But many, in fact most, were within the right age range for me to visit.  I just had to pick the one.
    I was looking for a special flower, a beautiful flower, one that I couldn't possibly take my eyes off of.  Many flowers were dull and unattractive, I hardly glanced at these.  My search was for the brightest, most vivid beauty I could find.
    My eyes detected her beauty, but it was her sweet scent that drew me in.  When I got close, her smell was so thick in the air, it nearly blinded me.  I landed on her soft petal and gently traipsed around her face, kissing her with my feet, exploring for her wet cavity, that warm hole that promised to be filled with a rich juice which satisfied even the gods.
    With bold strokes, I darted my long tongue in and out between the walls surrounding my fairest's richness.  I groaned with agony and excitement as I reached for that hidden nectar pot.  Tensely, I yearned for her priceless treasure, and, when it seemed I could reach no further, the flavor of her sweet nectar exploded on my outstretched tongue and engulfed my senses completely.
    Exhausted and fulfilled, I left that fair maiden and slowly journeyed home, practically in a daze.  When I arrived,  I told my story to others, and I rested, but only briefly.  For there were other flowers in that field, each begging for my company.  Soon, I would visit another, and then another, as many as I could until one day, late in life, my wings would give out and I would fly no more.
   

"Tupelo honey is produced when honeybees collect nectar from the blossoms of the white Ogeechee tupelo (Nyssa ogeche) tree. These trees are distributed along the borders of rivers, swamps, and ponds that are frequently inundated, mainly in the remote wetlands of Georgia and Florida.
Tupelo trees have clusters of inconspicuous greenish flowers, which later develop into berrylike fruits. The bloom lasts a mere 2-3 weeks in April and May. Pure tupelo honey is light amber in color; some note a green cast. It has a pear-like and hoppy aroma and a coveted flavor that fans describe as mild, delicate, buttery, floral, like cotton candy and like rosewater.
The white tupelo tree grows naturally in southeastern swamps. Because of the trees’ brief flowering time, beekeepers must be precise about getting bees to the trees; often this is accomplished by housing the bees on remote docks that are only accessible by boat.  The strictly regional nature of tupelo honey dictates that its production exists in a tiny subculture."

Ark of Taste, Tupelo Honey
2010 Slow Food USA

You can find locally produced Tupelo honey at The Bees' Knees Country Store.