The neonicotinoid pesticides are creating quite a buzz in the bee world. 

Research published this week in the Science journal zeroed in on the effects of the neonics on honey bees and bumble bees.

Science writer Eric Stokstad, in his news analysis headlined "The Field Research on Bees Raises Concern About Low-Dose Pesticides," indicated that, bottom line, more research on pesticide testing and regulation is needed.

"Five years ago, bees made headlines when a mysterious condition called colony collapse disorder decimated honey bee colonies in parts of the United States," Stokstad wrote.  "Now bees are poised to be in the news again, this time because of evidence that systemic insecticides, a common way to protect crops, indirectly harm these important pollinators. Two field studies reported online this week in Science document problems. In bumble bees, exposure to one such chemical leads to a dramatic loss of queens and could help explain the insects' decline. In honey bees, another insecticide interferes with the foragers' ability to find their way back to the hive. Researchers say these findings are cause for concern and will increase pressure to improve pesticide testing and regulation."

Stokstad was referring to these two research articles published in Science: 
1. Neonicotinoid Pesticide Reduces Bumble Bee Colony Growth and Queen Production
2. A Common Pesticide Decreases Foraging Success and Survival in Honey Bees

Meanwhile, Extension apiculturist Eric Mussen of the UC Davis Department of Entomology is fielding calls about the research.

On Wednesday, Mussen talked to science writer Eryn Brown of the Los Angeles Times.  

Here's her quote from her news story:

“There are a whole lot of things that stress the honeybees,” said Eric Mussen, a honeybee specialist at the University of California, Davis. “You can’t point your finger at one thing and say, ‘That is the problem.’ ”

Mussen cautioned against singling out neonicotinoids when other pesticides could have similar effects on bees. Besides, he said, many insects have built up immunity to neonicotinoids, so farmers are likely to switch to different pesticides anyway.

As Mussen has been saying all along, the declining bee population is due to a number of factors: pests, pesticides, parasites, diseases, malnutrition and stress.

So, there's no silver bullet--no major culprit--that's causing the declining bee population. It's a multitude of factors. Scientists continue to investigate them all.

Derek Downey working in the Davis Bee Sanctuary. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Don’t tell that to Derek Downey, who has been trying to schedule the grand opening of the Davis Bee Sanctuary now for the past two weeks.

It appears that rain is falling mainly on the Davis Bee Sanctuary.  

A grand opening initially set March 21 and then changed to March 31 has now been re-scheduled for Sunday, April 1.

“It’s supposed to rain hard on Saturday, March 31, and be nice on Sunday, April 1,” said  Downey, who heads the Davis Bee Collective and its newly landscaped site, the Davis Bee Sanctuary.

He’s hoping the weather will “bee nice.”

The Davis Bee Collective, a community of small-scale beekeepers founded by a former UC Davis entomology graduate student Eli Sarnat, will host the grand opening of the sanctuary from 1 to 5 p.m., Sunday, April 1 on Orchard Park Drive, near The Domes student housing. The public is invited.

The open house will be an opportunity for area residents and prospective members to “come meet the beekeepers," Downey said. The event will include tours, honey tasting, a permaculture lesson covering hugelkultur (the drought-tolerant technique being used at the sanctuary), a free flower giveaway, seed exchange (bring seeds), and a presentation on native bees, which also will be sharing the sanctuary.  

A special guest speaker will be Extension apiculturist Eric Mussen of the UC Davis Department of Entomology. Also planned: a display of native bee condos from Robbin Thorp, emeritus professor of entomology at UC Davis.

As of March 29, six hives now occupy the Bee Sanctuary. "We have four empty hives and space for a total of 12," Downey said. The hives are decorated with such names as "Just Bee," "Bee Happy," "Birdhouse" and "the Whaler Superorganism."

"The bee sanctuary is also place for people to meditate, smell the flowers, watch the bees and hummingbirds in the trees, and learn about permaculture---we're using a drought-tolerant method of gardening called hugelkultur ("hoogle culture") which involves burying logs of different sizes under the soil," Downey said. "The wood breaks down and becomes a sponge able to hold on to a ton of water so that in summer months you don't need to irrigate very much, if at all!"

Sarnat established the Bee Collective in 2005. Downey, who received his bachelor's degree in engineering from UC Davis in 2009, joined the Bee Collective in 2005 and then founded a small beekeeping business, the Davis Bee Charmers in 2010 and the Davis Bee Sanctuary in 2011. As the founder of the Davis Bee Charmers, he catches swarms, relocates hives, and teaches beekeeping lessons to individuals and groups.

Downey invites interested persons to join the Bee Collective and Bee Sanctuary; information on how to join is on the Davis Wiki website at http://daviswiki.org/Davis_Bee_Collective. He moderates the Google group and adds new members. "If someone wants to just help out and learn about bees, they are always welcome to take part," he said. "We will have hives that are collectively managed so everyone can learn together. If someone wants to keep their own hive there, it is first-come, first served. We have space for 10 to 12 hives, max."

Members of the Bee Collective share resources, such as beekeeping equipment, books, and tools. Downey accepts donations for the Bee Collective and Bee Sanctuary (contact him at davisbeecharmers@gmail.com or (310) 694-2405). He recently received dozens of donated perennials.

Bee Sanctuary work parties are held every Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. at the site.

Downey anticipates filling the other empty hives in the sanctuary via swarms he collects in Davis, Dixon, Sacramento, Woodland, and Winters.

Mmeanwhile, the Davis Bee Charmer is hoping the third time is the charm--for the weather to relent, that is. 

Those attending the California Center for Urban Horticulture (CCUH) public workshop  on "Your Sustainable Backyard: Pollinator Gardening" on Saturday, April 28 at the University of California, Davis, will, no doubt, leave with a better understanding of how we can all do our part to support healthy bee communities.

That's because entomologists, horticulturalists and design experts will be among the speakers. The event takes place in Room 101 of Giedt Hall.

"The workshop is designed both to inspire gardeners and equip them with all the necessary tools to provision pollinating insects in their own landscape," said workshop coordinator Melissa "Missy" Gable, program manager of CCUH. "Without the pollination services of European honey bees and native bees, what fruits and vegetables would be accessible to us?"

The UC Davis speaker line-up includes pollinator specialist Robbin Thorp, emeritus professor of entomology, who will discuss "Bees 101: Species Diversity and Behavior";   pollination ecologist Neal Williams, assistant professor of entomology, "Importance of Pollinators and Conservation"; and Ellen Zagory, director of horticulture at the UC Davis Arboretum, who will cover "Bee Plants."

Vicki Wojcik, associate program manager of Pollinator Partnership will speak on "Pollinator Gardening: Design and Maintenance." 

Welcoming the participants will be Lynn Kimsey, director of the Bohart Museum of Entomology and professor of entomology at UC Davis, and Dave Fujino, executive director of CCHU.

This workshop will end with something special--actually two things special: (1) a visit to the Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven, a half-acre bee friendly garden next to the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility on Bee Biology Road, and (2) a visit to the UC Davis Arboretum Teaching Nursery on Garrod Drive to see the pollinator demonstration beds and an opportunity to buy plants at a specially held sale inside the nursery.

The  $45 registration includes parking, morning coffee/tea, scones and a gourmet boxed lunch. See registration site.

Honey! 

Today at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility at the University of California, Davis, we borrowed a plastic spoon and offered a taste of honey to newly emerged honey bees.

It was their sisters' making and now it was theirs. And soon, they will be making their own.

Norman Gary, emeritus professor of entomology at UC Davis and author of the newly published book, Honey Bee Hobbyist, the Care and Keeping of Bees, writes that "When all conditions are ideal (good weather, long days, intense nectar secretion and very populous colonies), bees can collect enormous quantities of nectar--perhaps around 6 pounds or more in one day--yielding around 2 to 3 pounds of honey per day."

Still, we often hear folks complain about humans stealing honey from the hives.

"Bees consume most of the honey they make," writes Gary, who has kept bees for more than six decades and continues his work as a professional bee wrangler. "Honey is primarily food for them and secondarily a treat for us because they produce more than the require for sustenance, which is 200 pounds per colony annually. The extra honey--anything over 200 pounds--is known as 'surplus' honey because it can be harvested without jeopardizing colony survival."

However, hobby beekeepers usually expect to produce around 100 pounds of honey per hive, he says.

That's definitely more than just a taste of honey!