Wild Hive...

[-K2-]

I'm out in nature daily. Not trails in some developed park, yet into typically un-tracked areas off the beaten path. In any case, over half a century of spending time in the wilds, in most environments you can imagine... I have NEVER run across one of these. I've encountered similar in walls of homes, or perhaps barely visible in a hollow log, but never as visible as this. Excuse the poor images, I used a friend's outdated phone:

For scale, my boy at the base of the tree is 135# and roughly 42" nose to rump. The tree itself is perhaps 60"+ in diameter, and due to how hollow the trunk is, I suspect that limb might be as well. The bee's nest is roughly 24" x 24" x 24".

In the past seven years alone, I've logged an estimated 13,000-20,000 MILES on foot through various woods, swamps, marshes, etc.. I rarely take the beaten path preferring to simply point and go. 365 days a year, no matter the weather, day or night. In all that time I have never seen one of these hives... and I look, and am blessed with a keen eye.

Yes, it's great I finally saw one. Perhaps I'm the only person who hasn't, but I doubt it. Yes, it was wonderful, but it is also disturbing.

Since I spend so much time and distance out in all types of environments, why haven't I ever seen one of these before? As important as they are to our ecosystem, wild bees, you'd think they'd be everywhere. Instead, I encounter stories about this farmers hives being destroyed by vandals, or that be farmer finally quitting, tired of fighting disease and pollution to maintain a healthy community. I read stories about how this, that or the other change, a degree here, one less rainfall there, will cause the bees in an area to collapse, move on or perish. It concerns me for the future.

Anywho, I thought you might enjoy seeing one of these.

Oh! You can guess what most people ask me. "Why didn't you tear it down and get the honey?"

Because, I'd like to see more.

K2

 

[StilLearning]

Wow!

 

[hitmouse]

I have seen lots of these around India, but never in Europe or North America.

There always used to be a few big ones hanging over the front arch of the Taj Mahal. Probably too high to be easily removed.

 

[Elckerlyc]

There are reports and researches about the massive decline of insects. Up to 75%.
Possible causes may be climate change, use of pesticides and the scale and size of mono-cultures in agricultural areas.

 

[RJM Corbet]

In Britain you don't get far before farmer Giles sends his son out on a quad bike to enquire if you're lost and warn you off his private woodland. "People are allowed to own land, you know?" Upon this little island it's "stick to the footpath" venture neither right nor left?

 

[-K2-]

In Britain you don't get far before farmer Giles sends his son out on a quad bike to enquire if you're lost and warn you off his private woodland. "People are allowed to own land, you know?" Upon this little island it's "stick to the footpath" venture neither right nor left?

American trespass laws (each state often different), make British laws seem like "Squatters Welcome" signs. We don't have footpath access, only fences. That said, we have vaaaaaaaaaaast tracks of land owned by the states and federal government... and in direct contradiction to our capitalistic 'this is mine, that is yours' ways, those lands are owned by the people as a whole, held by the government in trust (yeah, like anyone trusts them ) but, are accessible to everyone.

Anywho, we have a smidgin of land ourselves, various friends, and naturally those public lands.
So, you know... ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓

K2

 

[RJM Corbet]

American trespass laws (each state often different), make British laws seem like "Squatters Welcome" signs. We don't have footpath access, only fences. That said, we have vaaaaaaaaaaast tracks of land owned by the states and federal government... and in direct contradiction to our capitalistic 'this is mine, that is yours' ways, those lands are owned by the people as a whole, held by the government in trust (yeah, like anyone trusts them ) but, are accessible to everyone.

Anywho, we have a smidgin of land ourselves, various friends, and naturally those public lands.
So, you know... ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓

K2

Long may you run

 

[RJM Corbet]

"We shoot pheasant here in winter, you know."

Shotgun? Or rifle?"

"Yes. A a shotgun, of course"

"So, what's the range of your shotgun? 40 yards? And these trees are bare in winter? So if you can shoot a person by mistake in winter with a shotgun, do you deserve to have one?"

"People are allowed to own land, you know."

 

[AlexH]

In Britain you don't get far before farmer Giles sends his son out on a quad bike to enquire if you're lost and warn you off his private woodland. "People are allowed to own land, you know?" Upon this little island it's "stick to the footpath" venture neither right nor left?

Apart from Scotland, Dartmoor and parts of other National Parks like Snowdonia, Brecon Beacons and Lake District. That's a pretty big chunk of land.

 

[RJM Corbet]

Apart from Scotland, Dartmoor and parts of other National Parks like Snowdonia, Brecon Beacons and Lake District. That's a pretty big chunk of land.

So do you want me to be grateful? it's only 10% of England I'm allowed to venture upon. 90% is privately owned. I live close to Dartmoor and it's boring after a while. Same walks, same paths. Life in the wilds.

Take away the urban and I've only a tiny sliver of countryside allowed me.

 

[Elckerlyc]

Be glad, be very glad, you don't live in the Netherlands. At least concerning decent chunks of nature.

 

[-K2-]

As I said, I have never seen one of these before in the wild... ever. So, I began a search to learn is it due to the loss of bees? Perhaps. Or, am I just not finding them?

One site that was fascinating is about 'natural bee keeping' which does not alter how bees beehave ... Tree or traditional bee keeping: Learning from wild bees and tree beekeeping , but, told me little about population numbers (how their behavior is manipulated is however telling).

That site explained a lot, but one that I found more interesting and I'll definitely try this coming summer is about 'bee-lining.' Yes, it's actually a thing, not just some term: Bee Lining: The Oldtimers’ Way to Find Wild Beehives | Summer 2010 | Articles | Features . In a nutshell, you trap a bee, feed it, then release it. Watch the line it takes and wait. Time how long it takes to return to your trap, and more so, bring others, and it will tell you the distance and direction to the wild hive. What was cool was how the guy just tracked down the hives as sport, but unlike in times past, he did not invade the nest for honey.

Though I can't find the site, one stated that in a sq. mile (perhaps it was km), there should be 2-3 wild hives. That's not a lot, but might explain why I haven't seen them considering most are protected within dead trees and the like. Nevertheless, in subsequent investigations and conversations with some bee keepers, it was mentioned how many lost heart due to mass die-offs for unknown reasons (assumed disease or pesticides brought back to the nest), yet as we discussed what it took to rebuild a community, a thought struck me that these folks hadn't considered...

Bananas & Corn

Spoiler: My nonsensical rambling, AKA: Blah, blah, blah...

I'll not waste your time, yet to control consistency, yield and marketability, through controls the greatest volume of each stems from a very narrow band of base DNA variety (Cavendish bananas I believe stem from two lines). Meaning, it is possible that 'what we know as' common bananas, could and are expected to be wiped out enmasse due to the lack of genetic diversity (as is found in nature).

Bees face the same predicament (as it was explained to me, so may not be true)... Supplied from a narrow group of sources, the brood stock controlled to determine traits, basically genetically altering the balance in the bee population, might mean that a singular disease or environmental condition which typically would only affect a small fraction of bees, could wipe out the vast majority in one fell swoop.

Our affect on Darwinism for profit, at its worst. That diversity we try to breed out of things, is exactly what helps all species grow stronger each subsequent generation. The plague that wipes out 1:100, means the 99... and now 100%, are immune to it. 1 out of that 100 wiped out due to temperature shifts, means the 99... now 100%, are unaffected by it. And so it goes. Then we come along.

So, though I don't have much more info as to why I've not seen these nests before, I'm intent on learning how many nests should be in an area, and this summer I'll select a sample spot, try bee-lining, and try and determine the health/population of bees in that sample area... and, have something to track from year to year as an indicator.

K2