HOUSTON – For a second consecutive year, honeybee colonies throughout the country have experienced record losses.
While some of the devastation is because of mites, extreme weather is also playing a role in the bees’ demise, which is impacting people’s health and wealth.
“It’s a wonderfully soothing sound,” explained beekeeper Missy Morris.
She showed KPRC 2′s Zach Lashway several hives on property near Katy, Texas.
Morris said, although these specific hives are healthy, she has concerns. “When the temperature stays this hot for this long and there’s no break.”
The heat presents a problem that’s two-fold.
The temperature within the hive needs to remain between 90 and 95 degrees year-round, which is significantly cooler than our recent record heat. To achieve this, bees use their wings to keep the temperature cooler, which means they’re working harder and depending on where the hives are located, could depend on how temperatures within the hive can get.
Some beekeepers put hives in direct sunlight to mitigate issues with mites and beetles, but as you might imagine, this only raises the heat within the hive. Other beekeepers keep the hives in partial shade to mimic bees’ natural environment.
To alleviate stress from the heat, Morris uses the entrance reducer to the hive as a space gap on top of the hive to allow for more airflow. She also will add another super or level to each hive to help with air circulation. “So, they have more space for airflow and they’re not suffocating so much in this heat.” Explained Morris.
The other problem caused by heat: extreme drought conditions.
Solutions: mulching to help conserve soil moisture longer and planting native Texas pollinators that are more tolerant of high heat.
The Best Bees Company has two hives on top of Bank of America tower in Downtown, Houston. These hives are also not immune to the heat.
Nicole Buergers is a Houston beekeeper who inspects hives throughout the urban core. “I am a steward to honeybees,” explained Buergers who owns Bee2Bee Honey Collective. “I share this magic that comes with honeybees.”
Buergers said honeybees in city limits are managing this extreme heat a little better than honeybees in the country.
“Fortunately, in the city, we have a lot of people with native gardens and pollinator gardens and native plants that are still in bloom. Lots of sunflowers, lots of things. And that is helping my bees that I tend to do pretty OK, although I know they’re stressed.”
The heat in Texas, destructive hurricanes in Florida and significant rainfall in California is not only killing bees, but also limiting the number of flying days bees have to pollinate. Fewer flying days impacts mating season because queens mate in the air. You combine this with the increase of mites and you’re left with significant loss to bee colonies nationwide. Fewer bees could lead to fewer fruits and vegetables that end up costing us more in stores.
Buergers also encourages people to build a bee-bath.
Take a saucer, the bottom of a planter or frisbee… put stones and wine corks in it… fill it up with water. The corks will float and provide a resting spot for bees to hydrate during this extreme heat, which allow them to stay healthy longer.