Monsanto the Evil Empire

     Recently Monsanto was voted the most evil corporation of the year in a survey taken by NaturalNews. They won by a huge margin over the second place Federal Reserve which serves the massively corrupt global banking cartel. Monsanto is the pioneer of agricultural biotechnology and produces genetically engineered seeds that tolerate their herbicide "Roudup".  In the past Monsanto has been responsible for producing Saccharin (causes cancer), Polystyrene (generates the most total hazardous waste), Atom bomb and nuclear weapons (plutonium purification and production), Petroleum-Based Fertilizer (kill beneficial soil micro-organisms, sterilizing the soil and creating a dependence, like an addiction, to the synthetic replacements), Roundup (Studies in rats have shown consistently negative health impacts ranging from tumors, altered organ function, and infertility, to cancer and premature death), Aspartame (NutraSweet / Equal) (94 health issues caused by aspartame), Bovine Growth Hormone (causes cancer in humans), "Agent Orange" (a herbicide defoliant used in Vietnam from 1961-1971 responsible for an estimated 400,000 people killed or maimed, and 500,000 children born with birth defects), PCBs (a now banned organic pollutant found to cause cancer and other side effects in all animals including humans), Dioxins (produced in the creation of artificial plant growth hormones and known to cause cancer and birth defects) and DDT (a pesticide banned worldwide in 1972 for health effects like cancer and birth defects on wildlife and humans), Genetically Modified Crops / GMOs and Terminator Seeds (forces farmers to buy new seeds from Monsanto year after year).  Monsanto is the producer of the Roundup (glyphosate) brand of herbicides and is the leading producer of genetically engineered seed (Alfalfa, Canola, Corn, Cotton, Sorghum, Soybeans, Sugarbeets and Wheat). Among their seeds is the genetically modified corn seed created to kill all insects that eat it.  The seed contains Bacill Thuringiensis which has been proven to weaken the immune system of bees (Beekeepers' Library).  Monsanto has acquired patents to coat their seeds with neonicotinoid pesticides (Planting Pesticides) known to be fatal to bees and banned in many countries (Insecticides and Bees).  Due to cross pollination it may now be impossible to eliminate Monsanto's genetically engineered, toxic franken-crops. Genetically modified foods have been banned in many European countries.  The health repercussions of genetically modified foods to humans, bees and all wildlife is potentially scary.  The largest producer of genetically engineered seed is Monsanto.  75% to 80% of the processed food you consume every day has GMOs inside, and residues of Monsanto’s RoundUp herbicide outside. In addition fresh fruit and vegetables like genetically engineered sweet corn is already being sold in your grocery store. 

     The worldwide production of seeds is now monopolized by a few agrochemical corporations.  Monsanto, Bayer and Syngenta now control over half the worldwide distribution of seeds.  Monsanto has established cross-licensing agreements for its transgenic patents with every single other company in the mix, while Dow has agreements with all except for Bayer. And Syngenta has agreements with Dow, Monsanto, and DuPont, while BASF has agreements with Dow and Monsanto.  Monsanto has purchased over 50 seed companies since l996 (Monsanto Seed Companies).  Some misconceptions of genetic modification and agrochemical use are that they are necessary to feed the world's growing population.  In a recent U.S.D.A report (U.S.D.A. Report) researchers stated "Over the first 15 years of commercial use, GMO seeds have not been shown to definitively increase yield potentials, and "in fact, the yields of herbicide-tolerant or insect-resistant seeds may be occasionally lower than the yields of conventional varieties."  GM seeds do however increase the profits of Monsanto as the higher priced seeds are patented and can not be saved and are resistant to the herbicide Roundup (produced by Monsanto) which has led to a substantial increase in the use of Roundup.

This video describes the process of genetic modification

       

      "There's nothing they are leaving untouched: the mustard, the okra, the bringe oil, the rice, the cauliflower. Once they have established the norm: that seed can be owned as their property, royalties can be collected. We will depend on them for every seed we grow of every crop we grow. If they control seed, they control food, they know it -- it's strategic. It's more powerful than bombs. It's more powerful than guns. This is the best way to control the populations of the world. The story starts in the White House, where Monsanto often got its way by exerting disproportionate influence over policymakers via the "revolving door". One example is Michael Taylor, who worked for Monsanto as an attorney before being appointed as deputy commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1991. While at the FDA, the authority that deals with all US food approvals, Taylor made crucial decisions that led to the approval of GE foods and crops. Then he returned to Monsanto, becoming the company's vice president for public policy.  Thanks to these intimate links between Monsanto and government agencies, the US adopted GE foods and crops without proper testing, without consumer labeling and in spite of serious questions hanging over their safety. Not coincidentally, Monsanto supplies 90 percent of the GE seeds used by the US market. Monsanto's long arm stretched so far that, in the early nineties, the US Food and Drugs Agency even ignored warnings of their own scientists, who were cautioning that GE crops could cause negative health effects. Other tactics the company uses to stifle concerns about their products include misleading advertising, bribery and concealing scientific evidence."

Former Monsanto employees currently hold positions in US government agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Supreme Court. These include:

Michael A. Friedman, MD, was Senior Vice President of Research and Development, Medical and Public Policy for Pharmacia, and later served as an FDA deputy commissioner.[222][223]

Linda J. Fisher was an assistant administrator at the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) before she was a vice president at Monsanto from 1995 to 2000. In 2001, Fisher became the deputy administrator of the EPA.[114]

Michael R. Taylor was an assistant to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner before he left to work for a law firm, one client of which was Monsanto. Taylor then became deputy commissioner of the FDA from 1991 to 1994, during which time the FDA approved rBST.[114] Anti-GM activists accused him of conflict of interest but a Federal investigation cleared him. Taylor was later re-appointed to the FDA in August 2009 by President Barack Obama.[224][225]

United States Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas worked as an attorney for Monsanto in the 1970s. Thomas wrote the majority opinion in the 2001 Supreme Court decision J. E. M. Ag Supply, Inc. v. Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.[226] which found that "newly developed plant breeds are patentable under the general utility patent laws of the United States."[114][226][227]

Public officials with indirect connections or who worked for Monsanto after leaving public office include:

Mickey Kantor served on Monsanto's board after serving in government as a trade representative.[114]

William D. Ruckelshaus served as the first head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970, was subsequently acting Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and then Deputy Attorney General of the United States. From 1983 to 1985, he returned as EPA administrator. After leaving government he joined the Board of Directors of Monsanto; he is currently retired from that board.[228]

Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was chairman and chief executive officer of G. D. Searle & Company, which Monsanto purchased in 1985. Rumsfeld's stock and options in Searle were $12 million USD at the time of the transaction.

     Here is a video that describes how Monsanto silences scientific dissent through the positioning of former employees in influential occupations.  "In this case that a former Monsanto scientist finds himself in charge of a specially-created post at the very journal that published two landmark studies questioning the safety of that company's products should surprise no one who is aware of the Monsanto revolving door. This door is responsible for literally dozens of Monsanto officials, lobbyists and consultants finding themselves in positions of authority in the government bodies that are supposedly there to regulate the company and its actions."


    
       The people of Hawaii are fighting Monsanto in a case "Genetic Engineering Chemical Warfare".

     Monsanto has long been trying to establish control over the seeds of the plants that produce food for the world. They have patented a number of genetically altered food crops, which can only be grown with proper license, and the seeds for which must be purchased anew each year.  Alas, genetically engineered (GE) crops cannot be contained. And rather than being found guilty of contaminating farmers' property, Monsanto has successfully sued hundreds of unsuspecting farmers for patent infringement when unlicensed GE crops were found growing in their fields. Many farmers have subsequently, quite literally, lost their farms.  Percy Schmeiser of Saskatchewan, Canada, is but one of Monsanto's victims, but contrary to so many others, he refused to quietly tolerate the injustice. In a classic case of David versus Goliath, Schmeiser fought back against one of the most powerful corporations in the world.

     This 2011 article from Counterpunch a political newsletter describes how Monsanto (along with the other agro-chemical giants) through economic and political influence  have persuaded the "organic elite" along with the major food distributors to accept genetically engineered crops despite the potential contamination to organic farms and ranches.  Monsanto and others involved in the production of genetically modified food have spent $35 million towards defeating California Proposition 37 which would mandate the disclosure or labelling of all genetically modified foods. “The No on 37 Campaign knows that basic facts do not support their argument for denying consumers the right to know what’s in our food , so they are resorting to a $35 million campaign of misrepresentations, misleading statements, and outright lies,” said Stacy Malkan, California Right to Know spokesperson.  “Prop. 37 comes down to a question of who is more credible, the leading health and consumer advocates, faith based groups, working families and millions of everyday Californians -- or the same small group of financially motivated special interests and political operatives who told us Agent Orange, DDT and cigarettes were safe?”

The truth about Prop 37

• Just a simple label—like in 61 other countries, indicating if our food has been genetically engineered
• Put on the ballot by a million Californians just like you
• Enables us to make an informed choice about what foods are right for our families
• Supported by consumers, farmers, nurses, doctors and a broad Coalition 

     It is very simple.  We have the right to know what is in our food and how it was created.  Monsanto and others involved in the production of our food say we do not have that right.  In Europe labelling of GMO (genetically modified organisms) products has been mandatory since 1997 and any GMO food products exported to Europe must be labelled disclosing that they are genetically modified.

     Vote Yes on Proposition 37.  Go to The Right to Know to find out more about proposition 37 and how important it is to you and your children.



     

   

  
     In an attempt to combat it's negative environmental image Monsanto recently bought the company Beeologics which produces biological pest and disease controls for bees.  I wonder, is it possible? Genetically Modified Bees?

Monsanto Franken-Bee

Postscript: The $35 million dollars Monsanto spent on advertisement to defeat Proposition 37 was well spent as they achieved a narrow victory enabling them to continue hiding the true nature of the food they produce. Ultimately the joke is on them.  By monopolizing the food market worldwide and selling dangerous genetically modified foods they will eventually kill all of their customers.  The Devil has just finished building a new wing in Hell called Monsantoland for former employees.

Beeutiful - Bee Photography

Bee on a purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea Asteraceae) which blooms for us in late summer.

     Zachery Huang, a biologist who has been studying bees for over two decades is an amazing photographer whose stunning photos can be seen at beetography.com.  These are a few of his photos.  I think bees are not only biologically amazing but beautiful as well, particularly when photographed on a colourful flower blossom.

 Borage (Borago officinalis) also known as starflower is a slightly invasive herb (volunteer) which in our garden can bloom from spring to fall and is a bee favourite. 

Goldenrod (Solidago), considered invasive is a favourite of bees and blooms in late summer and  fall.  I have discovered that bees love invasive plants like goldenrod, mint, blackberry, fennel, lemon balm and black locust. 

     Zachery has made available some of his best photos for your desktop wall paper at beetography.com/Honey-Bees/Wall-Papers-Free/746084_m2dRrQ#266110048_NXto8.  Some other good bee photography sites are thehoneygatherers.com/html/index and beedreams.com.  This year I bought my first cheap digital camera and began taking photos of our bees.  I have found that photography and in particular macro insect and flower photography forces you to slow down and look more closely at your environment.  This is a good thing when you live in the hustle and bustle of a big city.  My photos pale in comparison but Zachery's photos give me a goal to aspire to.  Here are a few of my photos of bees and plants bees love.

The common asian aster which blooms in a mass of small flowers for us from August through October  is a bee favourite.

Pink phlox, (native to North America) possibly Phlox paniculata David.

Japanese anemone blooms from late summer through the fall.  In most areas food for bees is readily available in spring and  summer so it is important to provide a food source for the bees in the early spring and autumn when there is less available food sources.   

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus), native to the americas and a bee favourite.

One of my girls enjoying a sunflower

One of our bees and a stranger to the left enjoying a rudbeckia (black-eyed Susan)  which is native to North America.

Western bumble bee (Bombos occidentalis) harvesting pollen from a Japanese Anemone.

     The photographs of Eric Tourneret, an amazing French photographer can be seen at his website (http://thehoneygatherers.com/html/index_en.html).  Through his photos he tries to reveal the relationship between bees and different human cultures ( Honey hunters of Nepal).

     Obviously when shooting bees macro settings for those close-up shots are a must.   Here are some macro photography tips from professional photographer Layne Kennedy of Ultimate Photo Guide (ultimatephotoguide.com).  Ultimate Photo Guide is a good site for learning about all aspects of photography.  

High magnification macro photography by Thomas Shahan.

Insect Macro Photography

     For more examples of bee and plant photography go to the Bee Plant pages of this website.
   

Chinese Honey Laundering Update

    Three men were arrested in Jacksonville, Florida on smuggling charges this week.  Chin Chou from Taiwan, Qiao Chu from China and Wei-Tang Lo from California successfully imported over 900 containers of Chinese Honey over the past two years which they fraudulently labeled rice fructose.  Once the honey passed customs as rice fructose it was shipped to warehouses where it was relabeled amber honey and sold to U.S. honey companies.  U.S. Customs did seize 123 containers (over 5,000,000 lbs/ 2.27 million kgs.) of falsely labeled Chinese honey at 11 different ports of entry.  The smugglers saved millions on anti-dumping duty ($2.63 per kilo) which was levied against Chinese honey in 2001 to counter heavily subsidized Chinese honey.  American beekeepers unable to compete were being forced out of business.  Chinese honey is ultra filtered to remove pollen which is the only way to trace the origin.  Honey from China  can contain banned antibiotics (health hazard) and heavy metals.  Sweeteners are added to the contaminated honey to mask the acrid taste and smell ( http://strathconabeekeepers.blogspot.com/2011/11/chinese-laundered-honey.html).

     In 2010 Canada exported $70 million of honey and imported $15 million of honey mostly from the U.S.,  Australia and New Zealand.  I wonder if any of that honey came to this continent as rice fructose.  

The Art of Apiculture

    John Stark, an amazing British artist has created a body of art entitled "Apiculture" (beekeeping).  The theme of anonymous beekeepers engaged in ritual beekeeping is timeless, set somewhere in the past or distant future.  Like most good artwork it  is an ambiguous metaphor who's interpretation is subjective to the observer and evolving over time.  John describes his artwork as “a really nice open metaphor, that can be read in so many different ways. All through the history of literature and art, the beehive has been cited as an example of utopian society, of a selfless existence. Do these hives represent the world? An idealised world? Art, even? Are the keepers the artists, producing the art, or the collectors harvesting the art?”

     The beehives and beekeepers form the narrative instrument to delve into the spiritual existential meaning of life.  "I see painting as a way of being, it is at least a mystical path and I believe in its power as a pursuit for truth where notions of the self are reflected upon. The result is then allegorical for the viewer who projects on to these open narratives traits from their own perception of their reality. The intention is that the works operate as a gateway for us to pass through together (in the metaphysical sense) while simultaneously tapping into the collective unconscious.

I can’t name a direct inspiration for this, although I have been listening to a lot of Buddhist teachings recently and looking at the symbolism from the school of The Fourth Way which refers to a concept used by G.I. Gurdjieff to describe an approach to self-development that helps to realize ones potential by transcending the body and achieving a higher state of consciousness. It is thought that we are living in a waking sleep and there are various ways to focus our attention and energy so that a range of inner abilities become possible. So it’s something inherent and built into the work and these current paintings refer back to ideas explored in my earlier works which attempt to tackle issues of the self, individuation and ‘the spiritual’ by replacing old mythologies and placing myself in the cannon of an art historical context."

     I will never look at beekeeping the same way again.  Check out John Stark's art at his gallery.

The Honey Hunters of Nepal

     In the foothills of the Himalayas in Nepal men harvest Himalayan Cliff Bee (Apis Laboriosa) honey as they have for generations.  The Himalayan honey bee, the biggest in the world at up to 3 cm (1.2 inches) is specifically adapted to the harsh climate of the Himalayas.

The Himalayan Cliff Bee Apis Laboriosa

     It nests at altitudes between 2500 and 3000 meters (8200-9800 ft) and forages at altitudes up to 4100 meters (13500 ft).  They have a flight range of 5-14 kilometers (3-9 miles).  This bee builds nests under overhangs on the southwestern faces of vertical cliffs. They are found in Bhutan, India, China and Nepal.

Himalayan Cliff Bee

      The Himalayan Cliff bee migrates for seasonal blossoms and produces three different types of honey: Spring high altitude or red honey; Spring mid to low altitude honey; and Autumn honey.  The Red honey is the most praised because of it's intoxicating or relaxing effects.  It is not consumed locally but exported at five times the price of other honeys to Japan and China for traditional medicinal use.  In Korea some healers are using it to treat drug addiction.  The intoxicating effects come from grayanotoxin present in the nectar of white rhododendrons.

       The ownership and control of honey harvesting has always been in the control of local villages but in many areas because of increased foreign demand control has been turned over to non-traditional harvesters and exporters.  This, along with loss of habitat and the introduction of the European honey bee has caused a tremendous decrease in the Himalayan Cliff bee population.  To view a study on the status of Apis Laboriosa (Himalayan Cliff Bee) go to "The status of Apis Laboriosa in Western Nepal".  The European honey bee has also brought with it a bacteria which causes European Foulbrood (bee disease) to which the Himalayan bee has little resistance.  There are four types of honey bees native to Nepal: Apis Laboriosa; Apis Dorsata (Tropical giant Honey Bee); Apis Florea (Dwarf Honey Bee); and Apis Cerana (Asian Honey Bee).  To view the status of these native bees and the imported Apis Mellifera (European Honey Bee) go to Himalayan Honey Bees and Beekeeping in Nepal.

The Himalayan Honey Bee is aggressive and has never been domesticated as it does not use enclosed cavities for nesting

       The Himalayan Cliff bee is essential for the pollination of high altitude plants and their decreased populations puts these ecosystems in jeopardy.  For the past ten years groups have been working to protect the Himalayan Cliff bee by returning sustainable harvesting control back to the local villages and protecting habitat.  Their habitat has become fragmented due to deforestation.  In recent years bee populations have stabilized and it is hoped that increased income from "Honey harvesting tourism" will be an incentive for young people to learn the traditional harvesting methods of their elders.

Honey Harvesters are stung repeatedly (and I thought my bees were mean) 

    The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) has created a "Center of Excellence for Asian Bees" to work with traditional honey hunters and beekeepers to maintain a healthy population of native honey bees and subsequently ensure needed pollination of native plants.

     Although Apis Dorsata, a family of bees which the Himalayan Cliff bee, Apis dorsata laboriosa is a member have never been kept by indigenous people because of it's aggressive nature, open nests and seasonal migration a form of sustainable beekeeping called "Rafter Beekeeping" has begun in Cambodia.  Unlike the traditional honey hunters the Cambodian Rafter beekeepers selectively take only portions of the honey leaving the nest intact.  The bees return year after year.  (Rafter Beekeeping).
     This wonderful film is about an English farmer and beekeeper who travels to Nepal to be part of the traditional, amazing honey harvest of the wild Himalayan Cliff bee.

     I will definitely add this to my bucket list (sustainably).  To check out great honey hunting photos from David Caprara go to The Honey Hunters of Nepal.  To watch honey hunting in Nepal go to Adventure Geo Treks.

Chinese Laundered Honey

Beekeeper in Jiyuan City, Henan province

     Is the honey you buy from the super market really honey? Unfortunately that is a question you should be asking. China is by far the largest producer of honey in the world (approximately 300,000 metric tons per year). The Chinese agriculture industry uses pesticides and herbicides banned in most developed countries. The deleterious effects of these chemical additives on humans and bees has been well documented. In one example excessive use of pesticides in pear orchards wiped out entire bee populations in parts of Sichuan Province where they now must pollinate by hand (we ain't that good at it).

Farm workers in Sichuan, China pollinating pear and apple trees by hand

    Chinese beekeepers are known to use antibiotics (to treat bee diseases) banned in most developed countries because of health concerns. One of these anti-biotics is chloramphenicol which is the drug of choice in third world countries because it is cheap and easy to manufacture. Chloramphenicol is known to cause aplastic anmenia, bone marrow suppression and childhood leukimia. These antibiotics used by the Chinese beekeepers seep into the honey and contaminate it. Heavy metals, probably from lead containers used to store the honey have been found in tested Chinese honey.  To mask the acrid smell and taste of this contaminated honey they mix in sugar, corn syrup, rice syrup or malt sweeteners.


     In 2001 the U.S. Commerce Department imposed a $1.20/lb anti-dumping tariff on imported Chinese honey because American beekeepers were being forced out of business by cheap, heavily subsidized Chinese honey. The Chinese honey was selling for 25 cents/lb while North American beekeepers needed $1.50/lb to break even. To counteract this Chinese honey producers began using ultra-filtering methods to conceal the origin of their honey. Prior to this ultra-filtering was not used by the world's honey manufacturers. Ultra-filtering is a high tech process where the honey is heated, sometimes dilluted and forced at high pressure through micro filters to remove microscopic particles including pollen which is the only way of identifying the origin of the honey.

     Bee pollen has been used by many cultures including the ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks for it's health benefits and therapeutic properties. Bee pollen has a higher density of protein than any animal source and is a concentrated source of b vitamin complex (provides energy). It also contains vitamins A,C,D,E,selenium,lecithin and powerful phytochemicals (carotenoids and bioflavonoids) making it a potent antioxidant (important in cancer prevention). Chinese medicine has recognized bee pollen benefits for thousands of years.
        

     The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says any product so ultra-filtered to not contain pollen is not honey. The World Health Organization, European Commission and other health organizations state the only way to determine the legitimate and safe source of honey is through the pollen. More than 75% of honey sold in stores in North America was found to have no pollen meaning it was ultra-filtered. The only reason to ultra-filter honey is to hide it's origin.

     This ultra-filtered honey is laundered through other Asian countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and now the country of choice, India.

Chinese laundered honey sold through India, Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia and Thailand

    This is one example of a German company laundering cheap Chinese honey through other countries.  The company imported millions of pounds of honey by disguising it's origins.  To read more about this go to "The Honey Trap" .

    

     A South Dakota beekeepers' battle against honey laundering.
   

     A senior figure in the Australian Honey industry had his car's brakes tampered with and received death threats after exposing Chinese honey laundering to the U.S. through Australia.  A number of arrests have been made of honey launderers in the U.S. and Europe with no effect on the supply of laundered honey.
     Honey is used in countless processed foods like cereals, granola and cookies and until governments implement honey standards that include unfiltered pollen and testing for contaminants  the only safe place to buy honey is from your local beekeeper.
     What can you do?  Check out "True Source Honey", a good updated information base for ethically and non ethically produced honey (http://www.truesourcehoney.com/take-action/) or better still buy locally.  The best policy always is to buy from your local farmer and beekeeper.

My honey.  Safe and tasty.

Insecticides and Bees

     Imidacloprid (some of the trade names are Winner, Advantage and Gaucho) is a neonicotinoid insecticide (type of pesticide) widely used on a number of major agricultural crops since 1986.  France, Italy, Slovenia and Germany have banned it's use on certain crops because of health risks to bees (Neonicotinoid effect on European Bees): 

In France, beekeepers reported a significant loss of honeybees in the 1990s, which they attributed to the use of imidacloprid (Gaucho). See Imidacloprid effects on bee population. In response to this loss of bees called "mad bee disease," the French Minister of Agriculture convened a panel of expert scientists (Comite Scientifique et Technique) to examine the impact of imidacloprid on bees. After reviewing dozens of laboratory and field studies conducted by Bayer CropScience and by independent scientists, the panel concluded that there was a significant risk to bees from exposure to imidacloprid on sunflowers and maize (corn), the only crops for which they had exposure data. Following the release of this report, the French Agricultural Ministry suspended the use of imidacloprid on maize and sunflowers. Italy, Germany, and Slovenia have also suspended certain uses of the neonicotinoids based on concerns for bees.  To see studies done on the impact of neonicotinoid insecticides go to "The Impact of neonicotinoid insecticides on bumble bees, honey bees and other non-target invertebrates".

     One of major problems occurs during seeding of neonicotinoid coated seeds and the dusting that occurs during the machine planting process which in windy conditions can spread the insecticide a mile or more.  To see a study done on this problem go to "Effects of neonicotinoid insecticide coated maize seed on honey bees" and "Neonicotinoid effect on Bees".  This spring a number of commercial beekeepers in Canada and the United States have experienced devastating losses during the planting of neonicotinoid coated seeds.  To listen to the heart wrenching meeting between Canadian government officials and beekeepers who experienced these devastating losses go to the Parliament of Canada.

     This week Bayer, the major producer of Imidacloprid voluntarily removed Almond trees from their suggested use label.  The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency in the U.S.) is reviewing this.  There are over 800,000 acres of almonds in California alone which are pollinated 100% by bees (the major seasonal crop for professional pollination companies).  This is great news for the billions of honey bees employed each year in the almond pollination industry.  This article by Kim Flottum : 

Imidacloprid On Almonds May Be History

Early this morning Bee Culture received a call from Steve Ellis, a member of the Honey Bee Advisory Board…the group of dedicated beekeepers working to make beekeeping a safer place by making pesticide businesses…farmers, applicators, sellers, manufacturers, researchers…more aware of the incredible damage their products can do to honey bees and pollinators.

The Honey Bee Advisory Board is in Washington D. C. this week, meeting with, among others, representatives of the EPA and Bayer CropScience. During the discussions it became apparent that Bayer was voluntarily removing almond trees from the label of their imidacloprid products.

Our call this morning was to inform us, and now you, that EPA is reviewing this request. Yes, reviewing. It seems that crops are so seldom removed from a label, especially by voluntary request, that the internal engine at EPA isn’t quite sure how to make that happen. So they are reviewing it.

Mr. Ellis was quite sure the review process would be swift and action taken very soon. Hopefully before it is to be used on almonds during the coming season, thus saving billions of honey bees from the opportunity of exposure to this chemical.  Members of the Honey Bee Advisory Board are all volunteers, not supported by any National or Regional beekeeping organization. They are to be commended for their ongoing pursuit of a better, safer life for honey bees, beekeepers, and all pollinators.

Pesticides are carried away by wind, evaporation, leaching and runoff

     Imidacloprid is not banned or even restricted for use in Canada and is also used for pet flea treatments.  It is obviously toxic to beneficial insects like bees, earthworms and ladybugs and causes reduced egg production in birds (http://www.sierraclub.ca/national/programs/health-environment/pesticides/imidacloprid-fact-sheet.shtml).  To view studies on the effects of pesticides on honey bees go to Pesticides and Honey Bees.

The effects of today's systemic pesticides on bees.

     Another neonicotinoid pesticide produced by Bayer is Clothianidin which like Imidacloprid is toxic to bees and it's use has been suspended by Germany.  The film below outlines the inability of the current system (EPA and corporate testing) to properly identify the safety of insecticides.



Beekkeeper Leaks EPA Document from Bee The Change on Vimeo.

     The video below is further evidence of the agricultural industry using agrochemicals irresponsibly with total disregard for safety or suffering. Productivity and profit are the singular motivation.  Endosulfan is an insecticide that was brought to the market in 1954 by Bayer CropScience and approved by the USDA.  Although the toxic effects on the environment and humans has been known for years it wasn't until the year 2000 that home and garden use was terminated in the United States.  In 2002 the EPA determined that endosulfan residues on food and in water pose unacceptable risks and so restricted but did not ban agricultural use.  In 2007 the Canadian government announced that endosulfan was under consideration for phase-out.  From 2007-2010 international steps were taken to restrict the use and trade of endosulfan but it wasn't until 2011 that the EPA announced that the registration of endosulfan in the U.S. will be cancelled.  Although in most parts of the world endosulfan is banned it is still being produced and utilized in reduced quantities.



     A few good sites to check regarding information on insecticides are: http://www.beyondpesticides.org/ ;
The pesticide action network: http://www.panna.org/ ;The Permanent People's Tribunal http://www.agricorporateaccountability.net/ ; Coalition Against Bayer Dangers http://www.cbgnetwork.org/328.html

*To view further studies on the effects of insecticides on bees go to Insecticides and Bees in our Beekeepers' Library.

Insulated Moisture Quilt

    

      One of the major reasons for winter loss of honey bee colonies in cold climates is cold, moisture dripping on the cluster of bees.  The moisture is created when the warm air emitted from the cluster of bees rises and contacts the cold surface of the outer cover, creating condensation.  

     Another source of winter moisture can be the feeding of syrup in late summer and early autumn which gets stored but not capped.  In the spring you can find these frames covered in mold.  When creating your winter hive makeup (in our area that is October) make sure you don't have excessive frames of uncapped honey or syrup which will act as himidifiers.  As someone who has spent most of their life working outdoors in the winter I prefer 30 below and dry to 2 above (Celsius - 35 Fahrenheit) and wet.  
       Winter bees are produced at the end of the summer. They are physiologically different from summer bees with a different blood protein profile and fatter bodies with the specific purpose to survive until spring.  Once the temperature drops below 14 Celsius these winter bees begin to form a cluster within the hive.  The bees on the outside act as insulators with their heads pointed towards the center of the cluster.  On the inside of the cluster the bees move their wings rapidly and the friction of this movement creates heat.  The centre of the cluster, where the queen resides is approximately 32 degrees Celsius.  As the heat rises the bees in the middle of the cluster move outward to become insulators and the outer bees move inward to become heat generators.  This movement of bees is continuous throughout the winter.   

       With the Insulated Moisture Quilt installed the warm air from the cluster rises up through the quilt contacting the less cold, insulated surface.  The reduced condensation that is formed will drip on and be absorbed by the wood chips.  The air vents will dry the wood chips.   
        To build the Insulated Moisture Quilt you could simply use a medium or deep super but for those like myself who like to build things here is a step by step description using scrap material.  First I screwed together some 6 inch wide 3/4  inch plywood (any 3/4 inch dimensional wood would work) to create a box that would fit on a deep super. 

Constructed at Cottonwood Community Garden

   Then I screwed in 3 pieces of plywood 3 inches high. 

       I stapled landscape cloth (porous) over the bottom of the quilt box (2011).  More durable and better alternatives to landscape cloth are window screen or 1/8 inch hardware cloth (2017).  Also, some have found that the bees will try to work the landscape cloth and get stuck in it.  I recommend window screen or 1/8 inch hardware cloth and stapling it to the bottom sides rather than underneath so that a gap (width of the 1/8 inch hardware cloth) is not created between the moisture quilt and the upper super. 

The 3/4 inch vent holes were drilled 2 inches above the landscape cloth.  Hardware cloth is applied over the vent holes to prevent entry by bees or mice.

       On the bottom I screwed on an optional 1 inch frame so the bees don't attempt to join the frames to the quilt surface.  The extra space will allow for pollen patties or sugar feeding in the early spring but could be replaced by a candy board between the quilt and the super to prevent comb building. This space could be modified or reduced to be more in line with proper 3/8 inch bee spacing.  I don't find this much of a problem for me as the quilt is primarily on when there is little or no foraging and wax burr comb creation.  Note the upper entrance chiseled improperly on the side of the eke.  I repaired this and added a front upper entrance.

                                                     Two inches of wood chips are added to absorb the moisture.

                            I added a 1/4 inch plywood cover with stapled rope for easy removal.                                 

        2 inches of solid insulation is added. It's a good idea to paint the finished project for weather protection.                   

Winter hive set up with 2 inch feeder and insulated moisture quilt

      Another way to combat the winter moisture issue is putting a 2x4 under the rear of the hive so that the condensation formed on the underside of the outer cover runs down the front of the hive instead of on the cluster.  Also an upper entrance is recommended to increase ventilation. Here are a few different quilt designs and a downloadable version of the Insulated Moisture Quilt: A non insulated Langstroth quilt;  A quilt using wool as the absorption material; and a Warre Hive quilt.  "The Biology and Management of Colonies in Winter" describes the temperature and moisture dynamics that occur within the hive in cold climates during winter.   For more information go to the "Winter Management" section of the  Beekeepers' Library.

      I received a World Wide Patent on this design which stipulates that anyone who uses this design must give me a jar of honey.  What can I say it's the law.  All honey related patents in Canada are strictly enforced by the C.H.P. (Canadian Honey Police), Chief of Police Winnie (from Winnipeg) T. Pooh.

Chief of Police