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This is a tough time for honeybees. New diseases and parasites have knocked bees to their knees. The U.S. Department of Agriculture this month announced a 13-state survey to assess the damage. And research continues into “colony collapse disorder,” in which whole hives of honeybees suddenly go missing. Wet weather across Nebraska hasn't helped because rain tends to keep the insects away from gathering nectar.
But word of the bee's decline has brought forth a host of would-be rescuers, especially small-time hobbyists and entrepreneurs. An annual University of Nebraska-Lincoln workshop, held this month at the agricultural research center near Mead, Neb., drew a record 85 bee fans, said Marion Ellis, the UNL entomologist who runs it.
It was intense study — “all you can stand for three days,” he said — intended to launch participants down a yearlong path to becoming master beekeepers.
Ellis said more and more wannabe breeders have joined the cause in recent years, though he can't give hard numbers because the government tracks only large honey producers. Beekeeping clubs in Nebraska and Iowa report a rise in interest.
But what's killing the bees?
Read the full article from the Omaha World-Herald.
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Tough Time for Bees
