#2 If they would let the bees keep more of their honey instead of feeding them sugar water or corn syrup water over the winter, the bees wouldn't be nearly as weakened and succeptible to various stressors. And if they didn't truck the bees quite so far, they would be less stressed.
For most crops, the native American bees are perfectly capable of handling pollination -- and all the farmers need do is provide suitable nesting sites upwind from the fields or orchards so they'll be out of range of sprayed pesticides. Orchard mason bee houses are easily and cheaply made, or can be ordered from a variety of sources. They do not, however, produce either honey or wax, and they are competition for the professional beekeepers with their trucks full of hives. |