New Bees in Page

I am installing a new beehive in Page, OK today. The reason I picked this area had to do with many different factors but one stands out.

All the news stories I hear about bee colonies dying talks about the commercial polination services who move across the country. Hives are wintered in the southern states and moved slowly northward as spring progresses. As the hives are moved the colonies are exposed to many different pesticides, herbicides and even waters contaminated by our own medications. As the scientists try to pin down the losses to a specific culprit I wonder if the problem doesn't have more to do with how the hives have been managed.

Even the hives that are not moved could be contaminated as transient hives are moved through the area. As a culture we are accustomed to finding very specific answers to problems but I think that we need to think in a larger context to find the problems with bees.

Bottom line for me is that the hive I start today will help replace a lost hive somewhere in the world. I plan to nurture our local polinators with as much care as they need to thrive and multiply. Even if answers to the dying bees do not come from the experts we will be one step closer to preserving our food supplies.