I live in glendale, az and have citrus tress and flowers and for the last two years have had very few bees, thus my fruit crops have been almost none in the past three years. Past years the trees were loaded with bees. There is a problem!!!!

This has not been the first bee disease to show this sort of symptom. Others have come, run their course, and faded. There is reason for concern, but not for panic.

One of the biggest spec-builder offenders in my view is Centex homes. I think they are from (where else?) Texas. They make stick-built balloons for the masses. Not a tree on their lots. True builders in the tradition of ticky-tacky.

sofistic @ 142

There seems to be a movement afoot for tiny houses. here is a link to The Small House Society

It doesn’t have to be tiny (sub-600 sq’), it just doesn’t need to be 4000 sq’of mostly empty space (great-room-cathedral-ceiling nonsense) like you see in the sprawlburbs that spoil the view hereabouts. One of the biggest impediments to curbing US dependence on foreign oil is the growth of auto-dependent exurbs. I would welcome $5 or $6 gas- it might stop this stupidity.

McMansions are not going away so long as people simply think having more square feet at a lower cost per square foot is better than having fewer quality square feet and a higher cost per square foot. By quality, I include all sorts of things which run counter to market thinking: greener, more traditional materials; spaces which are suited to the occupant who lives there, not to some generic “buyer” who a demographic, not a person; energy efficient in its entire integrated make-up; and not a slave to McMansion style-books.

sofistic @ 142

There seems to be a movement afoot for tiny houses. here is a link to The Small House Society

It doesn’t have to be tiny (sub-600 sq’), it just doesn’t need to be 4000 sq’of mostly empty space (great-room-cathedral-ceiling nonsense) like you see in the sprawlburbs that spoil the view hereabouts. One of the biggest impediments to curbing US dependence on foreign oil is the growth of auto-dependent exurbs. I would welcome $5 or $6 gas- it might stop this stupidity.

McMansions are not going away so long as people simply think being more square feet at a lower cost per square foot is better than having fewer quality square feet and a higher cost per square foot. By quality, I include all sorts of things which run counter to market thinking: greener, more traditional materials; spaces which are suited to the occupant who lives there, not to some generic “buyer” who a demographic, not a person; energy efficient in its entire integrated make-up; and not a slave to McMansion style-books.

http://www.masonbeehomes.com/t…..t_bees.php

great lil pollinators, work on the cool days, don’t bite, beautiful too!

At one time I had four hives. There’s something special about opening a hive and watching workers (females) dance, basically telling their sisters where to find nectar rich flowers. Or watching the workers throw the drones (males) out of the hive at the end of summer, when they are no longer needed.

For those who don’t have bees, it’s becoming more difficult to to keep hives healthy and alive as the years go by.

Bees are great. I encourage those who have the time and space to try it. My colony produces at least 6 gallons of honey a year, and that’s in a bad year. I originally got them because I was afraid of bees. I’m not anymore!

“Is more likely to “abscond” – the entire colony leaves the hive and relocates – in response to repeated intrusions by the beekeeper.”

I’m not sure I’m following the entire description of what beekeepers are describing CCD, but this doesn’t sound like what’s happening. What is interesting is this tidbit:

“Lives more often in ground cavities than the European types.”

EVERY feral bee hive I’ve ever seen, and I’ve lost count how many I’ve seen in FL, MD PA and NY, that I remember, has been in a tree. Mostly Oak trees, old ones that have lost a branch. Saw a hummingbird checking one out when I was about 12, an image that will be forever burned into my mind’s eye.

Anyway, the only underground hives I’ve ever seen or heard reports of are yellowjackets. They always pop up at constructions sites.

The MINUTE we see reports of construction crews getting whacked by honeybees, that will be a pretty good indication of killer bees.