The October 17th Beekeeping Webinar put on by author Kim Flottum and Ohio State University was a good overall reminder of hive dynamics in winter and how we can help our bees survive.
The major problems for honey bees in winter are starvation, varroa and poor ventilation. Cold condensation created by heat generated by the bee cluster contacting the cold inner cover will drip on the bees. In cold climates wet bees are dead bees. Possible solutions are insulation between the inner cover and outer cover, a moisture quilt or an Insulated Moisture Quilt.
Wintering your bees is like real estate value in that the most important consideration is location (location, location, location). Location dictates the methods you will use to protect your bees from the elements. Windbreaks are essential in some areas where there are cold, winter winds. In winter we have a predominant, strong, low pressure, southeast weather pattern that brings with it fairly constant cold, wet winds.
Wrapping is also very helpful at reducing heat loss. Roofing paper is the favourite wrapping material (black absorbs heat from the sun) making sure to leave an upper hole for ventilation. Some beekeepers insulate not only the top of their hives but the body as well, making sure once again to leave the upper ventilation hole open for air circulation.
The term "Killer Bees" refers to Africanized bees which were originally produced by cross-breeding European bees (Apis mellifera) with African bees (Apis mellifera scutellata) which are a sub-species of the European or Western honey bee and are native to central and southern Africa. In 1956, to produce the "perfect" honey bee for tropical Brazil, 26 African Tanganyikan queen bees were imported to Brazil and bred with European drones. Queen excluders were put on the entrances of the hives to prevent introduction of these African queen bees into the Brazilian environment. In 1957 a replacement beekeeper unknowingly removed the queen excluders releasing the African queens and starting the migration of the Africanized bees through the western hemisphere. Here is some additional information on Africanized bees provided by the University of California (Africanized Bees). The map below show the yearly migration of the Africanized bees.
I draw an analogy between the phenomena of the "Killer Bee" and the movie "Jaws". The movie inspired an unfounded paranoia of entering any water even that not inhabited by sharks. Myself, having worked and lived in bear country and swum with sharks for years pride myself in possessing a sense of calm and objectivity when dealing with potentially dangerous situations. Nevertheless I recall hearing the unforgettable music from the movie "Jaws" every time I encountered a shark in the water after that. The reality is that while sharks and "killer bees" do pose a threat it is important to put it into perspective and not create an exaggerated paranoia. The city of Hidalgo, Texas where the first Africanized bees in the U.S. were identified built a larger than life statue of the "Killer bee" on wheels which is still brought out for festivals and parades. In reality driving a car and riding a bike are far more dangerous. It is important to note that beekeepers in Central and South America are presently using Africanized bees. While they do produce a higher yield of honey they replace the native bees (Stingless Bees of the Maya) and do not pollinate all of the native plants.
The distinguishing features of the Africanized bee are: Swarms more frequently (smaller swarms up to 10 times a year potentially inhabiting smaller cavities); more likely to migrate as a response to seasonal dearth (In many parts of Africa their ancestors migrated annually due to extreme seasonal drought - Queen of the Savannah is a great movie about the ordeals of the African bee); more likely to abscond (entire colony leaves) in response to stress; more aggressive defensiveness when in a resting swarm; more likely to inhabit ground nests than European bees; greater area and more aggressive defense of hive; proportionally more guard bees; more bees act in defense of a hive and do so for a greater distance (i.e. several hundred bees to a disturbance 40 meters away and may follow for a quarter of a mile); The Africanized bee has also shown a greater propensity to be aggressive to darker colours such as darker coloured dogs suggesting a link to it's greatest enemy in Africa, the dark coloured honey badger; has difficulty surviving longs periods without forage (i.e. long, dry summer periods or cold winters). Here is a research article on the DNA of Africanized bees (DNA of Africanized Bees).
1985 Africanized Bee Alert
The Africanized bee's sting is no more venomous than the European bee and like the European bee it can only sting once. They respond to disturbances faster, in greater numbers and for farther distances. The prescribed defense is to retreat quickly (covering your head) to the shelter of a building or automobile. The undesireable, aggressive traits appear to be passed by the Africanized drones so many American beekeepers are counter attacking the migration of the Africanized bees by drone-flooding or raising an inordinate number of European drones to ensure a majority European mating. Other defence measures include frequent requeening to remove any Africanized queens and extermination of wild bee nests. However, most scientists believe that the northward migration is unpreventable and that with time the Africanized bees will adapt to periods of dearth or cold. They have adapted to and inhabit colder areas at the foot hills of the Andes Mountains in South America. While there is no way to predict their arrival in Canada one deterrent is the antiquated and bizarre Canadian bee import restrictions (We can import bees from New Zealand, Australia and Chile - Canadian bee import regualtions) that make the movement of bees from the U.S. to Canada impractical. This is why most of our imported bees in Vancouver come from New Zealand.
It is autumn and for many of us beekeepers it is time to watch for wasps. Wasps leave their nests this time of year and go out and forage. While some will occasionally enjoy nectar they are primarily insectivores and will kill your bees and attempt to enter the hives. For strong colonies this is not usually a problem but as a counter measure beekeepers often use entrance reducers and wasp traps. All of our wasps will die this winter except for the new, mated queens. This year I have identified 6 species of wasps in my garden: Vespula pensylvanica (western yellowjacket-Queen); Potter Wasp; Polistes dominula- European paper wasp; Male Vespula germanica (German Wasp - Yellowjacket); Dolichovespula maculata (bald-faced hornet) and the beautiful green eyed Bembicini (Bembix) or Sand wasp. While I have observed a smaller yellow wasp and a similar sized Blackjacket wasp I have not made positive identification. I have seen the western yellowjackets killing the odd bee in front of the hives but no sign of any attempted entry. Last year I witnessed the girls mass attack of a large bald-faced hornet trying to enter the hive. It was very violent as the wasp attempted to fly away with a few of the girls attached.
We are still in our Indian summer with beautiful days, active, foraging bees and lots of flowers still available. Soon it will be time to prepare the hives for winter, extract some honey and wax up my skis.
A photo by Eric Tourneret of the stingless Trigona honey bees kept in traditional earthen pots
There are about 800 species of stingless bees (Meliponines) that can be found in tropical regions of the world (Tropical America, Australia, Africa and Southeast Asia). In fact stingless bees do have stingers but they are so small that they are ineffective and instead defend their colony by biting. The stingless bee bite is similar to a mosquito bite. The stingless bees will nest in open tree cavities, rock crevices or underground openings.
The stingless bees (Melipona Beecheii and Melipona Yucatanica) in Central America have been kept by the Mayan people for thousands of years and are part of their traditional religious ceremonies. The bees are kept like family pets in log hives or pots passed down from generation to generation. The future of the Mayan stingless bee is bleak due to deforestation and the introduction of the Africanized honey bee which produces a far greater yield of honey. A significant problem is that the Africanized honey bee does not pollinate many of the native trees and shrubs which as a result are declining. The number of traditional Mayan beekeepers has reduced drastically with elderly men and women being the last of their kind.
Eric Tourneret is an amazing photographer who has studied the relationship between different cultures and bees including the Mexican stingless bee (The Bee Photographer). Part of this study involves the efforts to increase traditional stingless beekeeping along with the fair trade initiative (Fairtrade in Mexico) both of which I feel are very important issues. The group "Schools for Chiapas" is also working to promote traditional stingless beekeeping with educators, students and communities. The video below shows the traditional Melipona bee ceremony known as Un-hanli-cab in Yucatan, Mexico.
Native stingless bees have been kept by cultures throughout the world and the video below is of an Australian native stingless beekeeper.
There are many species of stingless bees in the Amazon and they also play an important part in the environment as pollinators. 34 species of stingless bees have been identified in the Amazon region of which 9 were considered domesticated by the locals. Below is a video by Eric Tourneret in his continuing study of the relationship between bees and people entitled "The Amazing Stingless Bees of the Amazon".
The "Sun Hive", designed by German sculptor Guenther Muncke is a combination of skep weaving and circular inner wooden frame. The inspiration for the hive design came from observing a wild bee's nest in a forest near his home, with it's combs covered in a protective layer of propolis and wax. Below is a drawing he made of this bee's nest.
The photo below of a wild bee's nest is a possible inspiration for the shape of the Sun Hive.
Based on years of bee colony observation the unique hive is designed to fit the natural comb building tendencies of the honey bee. Similar to the Warre Hive the Sun Hive allows for unconstrained downward vertical comb building (Natural Hive Comparisons). It is built in two segments which allow for expansion where the two meet. The segments are constructed of woven straw similar to a traditional skep with a wooden dividing board and platform in the middle (D below). The entrance is at the funnel shape bottom of the hive (N below). The hive is designed to be installed at a height of 2.5 meters (8 ft).
The wooden arches of the upper segment act like top bars from which the comb is built.
Here is a video showing how to make a Sun Hive. It takes about 14 hours.
How to cover a scep hive with cow dung.
Below is a video showing the comb building progress of a swarm after four weeks in the "Sun Hive". The inner cover over the wooden frames is cloth coated in bees wax and the outer cover is coated in natural, organic cow dung. The hive was made at a therapeutic institution for autistic children in Germany and was made of biodynamically grown rye straw.
"The Sun Hive/Haengekorb outlines the outer, invisible "skin" of the "Bien", the wholeness and single entity of the bee. It reveals the innate round shape of the "Bien". It's true nature becomes palpable, through the gestalt and it's position in space. The Haengekorb shows, how everything within the colony is round. The shape of it speaks with a pre-verbal-language. And the shape can share the living processes within. All together a "flower garden" for the eye and the heart."
To maintain your Sun Hive you must build a shelter to give it protection from the wind and rain, treat your exterior wooden parts with an organic paint or varnish, give your straw skep a haircut, decide whether to cloam or not with cow dung and replace your covering cloth. This is explained in detail here.
As a beekeeper I find the Sun Hive design to be both beautiful and natural to a degree (in the comb building sense). However, most European wild hives are built in enclosures like hollow trees (provides protection from the elements) without the freedom of comb construction like Guenther's drawing above. Open, wild bee's nests rarely survive weather or predation. I believe the maintenance of the hive would be labour intensive and require previous beekeeping experience and knowledge (not for the novice). The Sun Hive has a focus on the health and welfare of the bees not maximum honey production. I think one or two would be a beautiful addition if one has the time, knowledge and space.
A book in English about the Sun Hive is now available which includes detailed plans on how to make your own Sun Hive. To open a preview of the book click here. The book and Sun Hive components may be purchased from the Natural Beekeeping Trust in England. In North America the book is available through Gaia Bees.
For more information on natural beekeeping check out the Natural Beekeeping section of our Beekeepers' Library.
"The Travelling Beehive" is an amazing book for children of all ages. I highly recommend it for every beekeeper, their children and grandchildren. This book is wonderfully written by Elena Garcia and Manuel Angel Rosado and beautifully illustrated by Juan Hernaz. It is published by Apolo which is an organization dedicated to the preservation of pollinators and their habitat. You can follow Polli the honey bee and her friend Dipter the hover fly as they face the challenges of a disappearing green space. They are joined in their struggle by Bazumba the wild bee, Missus Bombus the bumblebee, Lepi the butterfly, her majesty the queen, Dorian the farmer and Ramon the beekeeper. Sit back and enjoy the The Travelling Beehive .
"Hi, I'm the illustrator of this book, and I would like to invite all of you to download "The Travelling Beehive" also in epub format for tablets, ipads and some e-book readers. You can download also pdf format and on-line book, also available for free on the website of Apolo and in my own web (http://www.juanhernaz.com/en/picture-books/ or http://juanhernaz.blogspot.ca/ ) Thank you very much for spreading this publication and enjoy it!" For more children's bee books go to the Children's Book section of our Beekeepers' Library.
Before I became a beekeeper I went out in search of knowledge pertaining to beekeeping. While some knowledge was readily available I found it difficult to research particular topics. Since becoming a beekeeper I am constantly being asked by people who want to start beekeeping where is a good source of reading material to learn the basics. Regularly beekeeping friends ask me questions like "do you know where I can get some good plans to build a screened bottom board?" or "are there studies on the benefits of small cell foundation?". It's for these reasons I created The Beekeepers' Library . It is in no way the definitive source for beekeeping knowledge but merely a free resource site where readers can preview and download information on a wide variety of topics. The main categories of the library are "Basic Beekeeping", "Beehive Construction", "Honeybee Diseases and Parasites", "Feeding", "Native Pollinators", "Advanced Beekeeping", "Planting for Pollinators", "Natural Beekeeping", "Recipes", "Children's Beekeeping", "Beekeeping Books" and instructional "Webinars". I have been and will continue to add regularly to the library. Enjoy!
*Update - The Beekeepers' Library became to big to open and edit on one page so while the old page still exists an updated version is available from the menu at the top of the page. In the new version the library is separated into several pages. Enjoy!
He who learns but does not think, is lost! He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.
Hunt's Bumble Bee (Bombus Huntii) in a Cranesbill Geranium
It's a beautiful, sunny 15 degree celsius (60 fahrenheit) day in the garden. This time of year in Vancouver is particularly special because so many plants are in bloom. Since I became a beekeeper I have found myself much more observant of blossoms and their attraction to both native and honey bees. Above is a photo of what is a Hunt's Bumble Bee (Bombus Huntii) whose orange backside makes for easy identification. If you look closely you can see the pollen being scattered beneath the native bee.
All of the bees are particularly attracted to the Cranesbill geranium which in our area is an easy to grow ground cover. I have also noticed that bees have a fondness for members of the onion family which includes garlic, onions, leeks and chives. Below is a picture of one of our girls enjoying some chive flowers.
The Bluet is a friendly invasive (controllable) plant and another favourite of all species of bees. I've heard this plant called a variety of names but I've not found it in any plant books.
* I found the Bluet in the plant files of the website Dave's Garden. It goes by the common names Mountain Bluet, Mountain Cornflower and Perrenial Cornflower "Gold Bullion". The latin name is Centaurea Montana. Below is the Dave's Garden plant file search engine. It is also in the side bar.
I apologize for the obvious amateur nature of the photography but the photographer (me) insists on blaming the camera. Below are a few photos of the girls enjoying the absolute favourite fast food (along with plum blossoms) in our neighbourhood this time of year which is flowering Kale.
After a slow start (cold wet spring) our girls are actively collecting pollen and producing brood. We'll check the hives in a few weeks and possibly do a split or two depending on their progress. Meanwhile, here I sit watching my bees listening to Taj and Etta sing "Queen Bee".
For a more complete list of plants bees love check out the "Bee Plants" section of this site.
The concept of drifting is that with a number of hives in a row, on a windy day the bees are more apt to return to the first hive from the direction of the main pollen flow. Consequently the first hive will be much stronger than the last hive. Dave Cushman suggests the opposite "end of the line" effect (Dave Cushman on Drifting Behavior in Honey Bees). Dave goes on to describe the drifting effects of featureless water.
In any case the disoriented, drifting bees will have an unfamiliar smell to the guard bees but will usually be allowed entrance if carrying pollen and displaying submissive behavior. Ted Hooper in his book "Guide to Bees and Honey" states:
“a drifting bee entering the colony by mistake, perhaps because it has been blown down to the hive by a cross wind, or misled by a similarity of the approach picture, will be challenged. In this case the guard will press the challenge because the smell of this bee is not the right one. The drifter, because its instinct says it is in the right place, will not try to fight the guard but will submit. If the drifter is facing the guard it will offer food, which the guard will usually ignore. If the guard is attacking from the side [...] the drifter will tuck its tail in and stand quiet, with its head tucked down, or it may rear on to its two back pairs of legs, extending its tongue and strop this with its front legs. These patterns of behavior denote submission and the guard [...] will do no real harm and certainly not attempt to sting. As with all bees, the guard’s concentration period is short, and in a few seconds it gets tired of the whole affair and lets the drifter proceed”
This study found the percentage of drifting bees to be as high as 60% within unmarked row apiaries (Drifting of Honey Bee Foragers within and between apiaries pollinating blueberry) and up to 4.5% in apiaries 600 mts away. In the study below (Drifting of Honey Bees) they found that there was no preference in honey bee strain when drifting nor decrease in life span. They did find an increased drift from center (22%) to edge (39%).
Hive setup that could lead to drifting
The study below suggests that the optimal distance is 9 meters between hives and 18 meters between rows but this is often not possible. They list ways to reduce drifting by different apiary layout (circles, squares, U, V, Sigmoid), different entrance orientation and different colors. The idea is that different colored hives will assist the bees in identifying their own hive.
The idea is that different colored hives will assist the bees in identifying their own hive. Bees see colors
differently than we do and studies show they prefer purple, violet and blue in
that order. Bees can see ultraviolet light patterns invisible to us (Honey Bees ability to identify color).
Why does drifting matter? Because unless you live in an isolated area there is a good chance your hives contain bees from neighboring hives along with their pests and diseases (Honey Bee Drifting and the spread of AFB). Drifting can also occur with Queens returning from mating flights (4% Honey Bee Queen Drifting).
It's like if you are drunk and walking back to your house and all the homes are of the exact color and architectural style. This is human drifting. I have personally experienced this phenomena. This can be very embarrassing.
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.
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.
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.
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