I’m sure you’ve heard that the honeybee populations are declining. This is scary because most of our food depends on bees for pollination. They are actually responsible for pollinating over a third of our food. So, it is pretty daunting to think about them vanishing as human populations continue to grow. There are many theories: death dues to pesticide use, disease, hive fungus, mites, and bees getting lost due to too many signals interfering with their innate navigation. You see bees fly by magnetic navigation. Humans are building and using cell phone towers, wireless communication, air flights, and radio towers that are now closer together, making signals stronger, which may cause the bees to become ‘lost’ and lose their hives. Another theory is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Commercial beekeepers have been stealing the bees’ honey and then feeding them HFCS.  They feed bees HFCS instead of honey for the same reason that commercial food manufacturers feed it to us: it’s cheaper. Perhaps, the bees actually need their honey to keep their systems healthy so they can fight off toxins (pesticides) and diseases – just a thought.

No one really knows, exactly what is happening but there are certainly a lot of theories. In fact, it is probably all of the above and that is the problem. Nevertheless, I know the real truth – they have decided to take up residence in our old Pitch Pine tree. Have you ever seen bees living in a tree? It’s like seeing someone grind their own grains manually – you just don’t see it much anymore. The first time I saw it was in California. We knew the tree was their home since there were so many bees flying in and out of the gigantic Willow tree. But it was nothing like what we have at our current home. The honeybees just love our old Pitch Pine tree. On a nice summer day, there appear to be millions hanging out around the entrance of their home. Sometimes you can hear their hum from over 1000 feet away.

Our Bee Tree

Don’t worry they don’t bother us. They are too busy collecting pollen to bother with us. Our flowers and fruit trees love them.

I know where all the bees have gone – our old Pitch Pine.

Our old Pitch Pine tree