Pollinators in Crisis
Join us in the search for answers!
Pollinators are critical
to our food supply, and the current pollinator crisis could potentially
have devastating impacts on humanity. Without adequate pollination by
honey bees and other pollinators, the quantity and quality of the
fruits, vegetables, and seed crops we depend on will be severely
compromised. Although there have been numerous studies done on managed honey bee colonies, no single problem can be implicated in their
decline.
The Secrets of Bee Trees
Honey bees have been around for more than 25 million
years. Over that time they have developed unique relationships with
many flowering plants. They lived in tree hollows and other natural cavities, and appear to have preferred relatively small spaces of
about ten gallons in volume. The colonies were quite dispersed over wide
areas, with only about six colonies per square mile.
Modern
beekeeping practices are convenient and efficient for humans, but they
create conditions unlike those that shaped the evolution of the honey
bee. Some of the differences have consequences that are yet to be fully
measured. For example:
- We keep colonies in large boxes that are
placed only a foot or so above the ground, where predators like yellow
jackets and skunks have easy access to the colony entrance. During wet
weather, the colonies are exposed to the damp air near the ground. This
may increase fungal infections in the colony.
- We place many
colonies close together, with limited access to forage. Because honey
bees can only forage in a limited radius around their home colony, local
nectar and pollen sources can be quickly exhausted when too many
colonies are forced to share the same space.
- In an effort to keep
colonies clean, we have prevented the accumulation of debris that
naturally occurs underneath the honey bee nest. The debris may contain
beneficial microorganisms and other critters. Recent research suggests
that these things may be an important component of honey bee health.
What is a tree hive?
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We have made a prototype hive that can be hung in trees. Our goal is to make this hive match a tree hollow as closely as possible. At the same time we want to be able to monitor the tree hive colonies, take samples and record our progress. Therefore the tree hive is a stack of wooden boxes with wooden frames hung inside much like standard beekeeping equipment. The frames contain the bees' comb and can be removed, examined and replaced so that samples can be taken without breaking the comb. The size of each box is about 1/3 of a standard beekeeping box so that a stack of three boxes for comb equals one standard box. Beekeepers traditionally give their colonies two boxes therefore a tree hive is about half the size of a traditional beekeeping box. A fourth box is placed under the boxes of comb, this is a box for wooden debris that may contain organisms. Most colonies in a natural tree hollow have wood debris beneath the cavity that houses the bees. We expect these organisms and the honey bee colony make up a natural community.
We
recently collaborated with Dr. Jay Yoder from Wittenberg University to
conduct a study on fungi in honey bee colonies. (See the March 2015
issue of Bee Culture for details.) The initial results suggest that tree
hives host twice the level of beneficial fungi as traditional managed
colonies. One of these fungi slowed or inhibited the growth of
chalkbrood, a
harmful fungus that infects and kills honey bee larvae. These results
are encouraging! Further study is warranted.
About Our Project
It
is absolutely critical that researchers, beekeepers, and the public
work together to uncover the factors that are compromising honey bee
health. Long-lived tree hive colonies are a possible source of
promising, unrealized solutions. Precious little research has been done
on the differences between tree hollow bees and those living in managed
colonies. If such differences came to light, they could be used to
improve modern beekeeping methods and perhaps help to reduce the
severity of the pollinator crisis.
Our goal is to verify the results of the preliminary fungal study. We are poised to begin
conducting this much-needed research, and you can participate! Working together, we can pursue solutions through research on bee trees.
A
good research sample should include a minimum of 30 colonies in trees and 30 on the ground. Money received will be used to:
-
Build 30 tree hives.
-
Build 30 comparison colonies.
-
Fund research assistants and educational materials.
-
Obtain supplies for sampling, data collection and recording.
- Cover business administration and insurance costs.
Total project costs $50,000.
Additional Benefits
Our
Tree Hives will be dispersed over a wide area, providing pollination
for local flora. The Tree Hives also lend natural beauty in both rural
and urban settings. We will be collaborating with Master Beekeeping
students to further education and interest in honey bee conservation.
Be a partner in this important research!
Your
contribution to our project has the potential to make a positive change
for people all over the world! With reduced pollinator populations,
nutritious food can only become more expensive, beyond the reach of many
families. There is hope. Please participate, and join us in the pursuit of answers.
