5/5/2014 The New Falcon Herald

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Volume No. 11 Issue No. 5 May 2014

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Jason Gray

Local honey bees ravaged by fire and disease Loss of bees equals economic losses By Jason Gray

Falcon residents might have noticed fewer honey bees on their Russian Sage bushes andzucchini plants this summer. The Black Forest fire and a disease known as Colony CollapseDisorder have reduced bee populations by more than 65 percent. Local beekeepers are askingfor residents' help to bring the pollinators back. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, beekeepers started reporting unexplainedhive losses in October 2006. Researchers started tracking the disorder in which the queen bee,the young brood (egg/larvae and the young bee) and plenty of honey remained in the hive, butthe vast majority of adult bees had disappeared. CCD differs from normal winter losses,swarming season or other pathogens when the queen would leave with a portion of the hive, ormany dead adult bees would be found. While the USDA states that no cause has been proven, independent studies cited in the CCDAnnual Progress Report show that “bees are exposed to a wide range of pesticides that haveinteractive effects with other pesticides and viruses.” European Union member states issued atwo-year moratorium on the use of neo-nicotinoid pesticides believed by some researchers tobe the cause of CCD. Even if the exact cause is unknown, bee populations are affected in Colorado. “It is acombination of things,” said Beth Conrey, president of the Colorado Beekeepers Association.“Winter losses were very high this year and swarm season was down over 60 percent. That isan indicator that wild and managed hives are having grief in the current climate.” The Black Forest fire also caused significant bee losses for eastern El Paso County. BlackForest Honey, owned by John and Donna Hartley, lost their 38 hives. The Hartleys were alsomajor suppliers of equipment and queen bees for hobby beekeepers throughout the Pikes Peakregion. “A lot of people have asked us if the bees just flew away,” Donna Hartley said. “Theycan't fly through thick smoke. The way the fire moved so fast and twisted back on itself, we'repretty sure they all died.” Several hobby beekeepers in Black Forest experienced losses as well. “Hobby beekeepershave one or two hives each. We don't know how many of those were destroyed, but we traineda lot of them,” Hartley said. Conrey said wild hives were likely destroyed as well. “When any 1square mile of land burns, you're obviously burning everything. Bees and all,” she said.

Beekeepers do more for the economy and homeowners than just sell honey. “What do beesdo? Food. Honeybees are responsible for one-third of the human diet,” Conrey said. “That'spretty important. If all of a sudden Rocky Ford melons stop getting pollinated, then you haveproblems.” “If they're gardeners, they want bees,” Hartley said. “We've heard people say that they're sick

Planting native bee forage such as

Russian Sage will help local bee

populations recover. Photo by Jason

Gray

5/5/2014 The New Falcon Herald

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“If they're gardeners, they want bees,” Hartley said. “We've heard people say that they're sickof hand-pollinating their zucchini. They shouldn't have to do that.” Managed hives inneighborhoods help homeowner gardeners and landscapers with edible plants and flowers. There are two main things homeowners can do for the bees, Conrey said. “The first thing weask people to do is quit using pesticides. Second is plant native flowers for bees and otherpollinators,” she said. “If everyone was to plant something they can forage from and stop usingchemical pesticides that would be a huge benefit for everyone.” The Beekeepers Associationalso recommends that landowners in burn areas re-seed with native wildflowers and grasses toprovide forage for stressed pollinators trying to repopulate the area. The Hartleys are already working on rebuilding their apiary empire from their temporary homein Falcon Hills. The couple has been working on building and painting new hives to replace theones lost in the fire, Hartley said. They have also placed single hives in receptive homeowners'backyards to help recover populations around Falcon and Black Forest. “There's been growth at the hobby level statewide,” Conrey said. “But the commercial levelhas been static or declining. A lot of those guys are older and they're retiring.” Conrey said thestate association has about 1,100 members. The Hartleys have been keeping bees for about 40 years, Hartley said. “People who love beesare easy to spot,” she said. “They see them for what they are. Bees are livestock and aproductive species.”

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