Where Are the Honeybees

The other day I was driving into town and darned near ran over the car in front of me. It had slowed precipitously due to a long line of cars being impeded by a highway department truck that was spraying the right of way. I have assumed that it was to kill the growth on the right-of-way so that mowing would not be needed. I have noted that the medians are getting mowed much less than used to be the case. Some would be bothered by that but I am not in that group. I'm OK with it as long as vision is not obstructed. But, back to the spraying. I don't know what kind of chemical was being used but the first thing that I thought of was that I wondered what effect it would have on our pollinators, the bees and butterflies among other necessary creatures.

Colony collapse syndrome has become a pressing concern for beekeepers and the farmers that rely on bees and other pollinators to pollinate their crops. Without them their crops would fail. In California and some other places farmers are having bees trucked in to pollinate their vast fields when they used to be pollinated naturally by local bee populations. This adds cost and uncertainty to their growing season and also allows diseases natural to bees to spread over greater distances There has been an intense search for the cause for the collapse of the bee population. There is a mite that can infect hives but it is beginning to become clear that it is something in the environment that is weakening the immune systems of the bees so that they succumb to stresses. While it is not yet proven a lot of attention is being given chemicals used in agriculture such as herbicides and those put on seed when it is planted. These seeds and chemicals have been developed by the giant agricultural corporations who do genetic modification of the seed to enable them to tolerate the destructive qualities of these additives. Also, the pesticides that many use on crops are deadly to bees as well as undesirable bugs. For some reason this crisis has not resonated with the American public but that is due to change very soon. Agriculture is already under pressure due to climate change. Lack of water is allowing the natural flora to reclaim those vast farms that make the United States a breadbasket for the world. As with all things, we are apparently going to wait until desperation smacks us in the face before we decide that the problem is that there are too many poor people who can't afford to pay for expensive food.

One time my wife and I were driving through Northern Florida in the panhandle and I noticed a floral scent on the air. Then I noticed that the medians were a bright pink for mile after mile. Curiosity got the better of me and I found that they medians had been sown with dianthus. I have never forgotten that sight. That leads me to imagine that our state could plant medians with native wildflowers that could be a haven for pollinators. I certainly would have no problem with not mowing if we could do that and it could save a bundle for the taxpayer.

It is strange how state government can have departments and promotions that contradict one another. Kentucky has a state apiarist (beekeeper) who does all sorts of things to promote beekeeping and bee health. It is recognized that pollinators play a critical role in agriculture but then the state has trucks that roll about spraying herbicides into the air which harms the bees and other pollinators. Why can't we develop a consistent policy and not shoot ourselves in the foot? Of course, this is only one example of many but we won't go there.

In 1962 Rachel Carson published her seminal work “Silent Spring” in which she drew a direct line from the use of pesticides to the decimation of non-targeted species. Her work inspired a generation of environmentalists and tree huggers. It also led to the banning of DDT which had practically made extinct the bald eagle. The California Condor is still pretty iffy. The intervening years have led to forgetfulness among the people and the subsequent castigation of environmentalists as being inimical to the economy and jobs. There was a great hue and cry about banning DDT but the bald eagle has made a comeback as have other species which proves the efficacy of that ruling.

Many don't get the reason there is an effort to save the duskytail darter or a frog or bat somewhere but once those species are gone they are gone forever and that part of the genetic pool is lost. If you can't see the problem with that then please just get out of the way and let those that will do something about it. But the pollinators play a crucial role in the foods that we eat, the energy sources our bodies use to maintain life. If the natural pollinators are gone then we must pollinate everything by hand or develop self pollinating crops. When we do that then we will be at the mercy of the agri-giants and will be forced to pay whatever is demanded.

Around here agriculture is in our blood, our heritage. Almost all of us have had or currently have a farmer in the family. We are familiar with the planting and harvesting cycle even if we don't grow food any more ourselves. Perhaps that familiarity makes us insensitive to the larger picture, perhaps we just can't get our minds around not being able to do that. But, think for a moment about feeding millions and billions of people. Think about going to the market and not being able to afford what is on the shelf. You all are aware of how grocery prices are going up and it is going to get worse.

There are people who are trying to do something about this. You will find them at the farmer's markets and some roadside stands. Not all have taken on the burden of a sustainable agricultural model but many have. You may find them in a protest line at Monsanto protesting genetically engineered crops and patented genes. They are trying to preserve the ability of the individual to grow and harvest food. It does not get more basic than that.

My Take is this. If you know how to grow a garden, large or small, do it. If you don't, then learn. Form cooperatives with others to share resources. Otherwise you are at the mercy of what others can do to you. And demand consistent governmental policy in matters that affect us all.