This year there have been a number of news articles in the press about the decline of the honeybee. American beekeepers as well as beekeepers from around the world have experienced significant declines in their bee numbers. I thought it was interesting how the recently reported percentage of bee loss over the last winter in Canada was 28.6%. Some Canadian territories reported higher loss percentages, the overall percent from Canada was 28.6%. This number seemed quite low so I got Davey's opinion. He believes that the number is definitely lower than reality, also noting that the man in charge of these numbers in Canada is employed by one of the giant pesticide companies that many believe is the cause of bee loss. Other recent reports have also been talking of the 90% butterfly decline in Eastern Canada. This is clearly a shocking decline that Davey believes is caused by similar factors to bee decline. When thousands and thousands of acres are being converted to corn fields all the time, pollinating insects have less and less sources of food. At the same time, they are being increasingly bombarded with more and more chemicals which may help crops, but harm everything else in the process. Just in the United States alone, 40% of all corn grown goes to making ethanol, a substance proven to cut down on a car's gas mileage! It is only a matter of time before we realize we cannot keep doing this for the sake of the pollinators, and in extension, all life on earth.

Wax moth larvae are very destructive and can quickly destroy stored beeswax combs. They tunnel and chew through combs leaving behind significant damage to a hive. Combs containing bee larvae and pollen are their favorite. Female moths usually lay eggs in clusters on comb or in small cracks in a hive. There are two kinds of wax moths – lesser and greater. Lesser wax moths are usually solitary where greater wax moths are usually found in groups. Both types of wax moth larvae feed on combs, pollen and litter found on the hive floor. Unfortunately, there are no chemicals approved to kill these wax worms while in your hive. The only sure way to keep this from becoming a problem in your hive is to keep your bees strong and healthy so they can manage them successfully on their own.