From rddd at dcn.davis.ca.us Sun May 4 09:47:20 2008 From: rddd at dcn.davis.ca.us (Robin&Dennis) Date: Sun, 4 May 2008 09:47:20 -0700 Subject: [OldNorth] Hive Alive -- bees back at the 636 B. Street street tree Message-ID: OLD NORTHers, The bees are back at the 636 B. Street tree where two weeks ago some one had plugged up their elm-tree hive in the street tree. Saturday around 5:30 I noticed them coming and going; there was still some activity at midnight last night; this morning they are busy as bees, thick and fast. The new colony seems to feature bees that are a little bigger and with darker abdomen stripes than the previous hive. I'm hoping they have moved in with a queen, but there is the possibility that they are some other colony that is merely stripping the abundant honey out of the abandoned hive. Hope for the best! Dennis, the happy BEEliever in the regenerative power of nature Sheryl, A few minutes ago I checked on the honey bee hive in the Elm tree in front of 636 B. Street. Someone in the last 24 hours has plugged up the bee entrance with expanding insulation foam. Dead bees are all around the former entrance and the hive is surely killed. That hive was a source of daily pleasure and pride to me since I first noticed it about 6 months ago. Every daytime walk-around-the-block with Kirby let me marvel in their industriousness in coming-and-going at the entrance hole. It is right about ear height and at night I would put my ear to the tree and listen to the buzz of thousands of beating wings inside. Honey bees are dying nationwide from mysterious causes, and bee decline is a serious economic and biological trend. I have a hard time imagining the mind-set that would lead to this act of assassination of our honeybee friends. I'll check with the city to see if killing bees in street trees is official policy. However, I suspect it to be an unauthorized act by the workmen who are daily engaged in some serious remodelling for the new owners (the Schillings). Dennis